Beyond the Bounds
by The Deserter Angel
Summary: Despite their best efforts, they have failed. Their lifeboat plans were a temporary solution. They could have done more, but they couldn't. No, they didn't want to do it, if that meant to go deeper with their curiosity, where the lines they have drew blurred. It didn't matter. That's why they preserved through time, dust and blood. They will put a solution to mankind's bane.
1. Chapter 1

The moonlight illuminated the forest. Around, crickets were filling the night silence, along with the occasional hoot from the owls. It was a calm night, but not for two men standing in a clearing.

"Hey…"

"Mph, What is it, kid?"

"I'm not a kid, old geezer," he sighed in annoyance as he rubbed his temple. "You didn't ask for the exact details for this job, right?" The person who asked was a tall, sturdy, and athletic young man. He had dark black hair in several unevenly-cut bangs with red at the tips. He had deep red eyes.

He wore a black jacket, navy blue tactical pants, a black tactical belt with pouches, and two gun holsters on his back.

"What are you talking about? Of course, I did it!"

"Let me guess Siegfried. You were paying close attention to our informant, who turns out to be a beautiful woman with a big bust." He chided. His companion was also tall, had a muscular build and a long white-grayish hair in a ponytail. He had calm blue eyes and a shallow beard. He wore a dark blue coat, a black shirt accompanied with a gray chest guard under it; tactical brown pants and leather gun holsters under his coat.

"How did you know that?!" Siegfried exclaimed as the ground trembled.

"Oh, it's easy." He said as he drew a handle from his waist. He pressed a button and black tendrils started to appear and move from the handle. It took the form of a big black lance with a spiked pommel. The base and edge were golden. The lance was called Gungnir.

"It's because of your damn libido that we end up in these shitty situations!" He screamed and jumped back to avoid being crushed to the ground by a big arm. His companion did the same and drew a pair of revolvers. They were white accompanied with orange borders. These were ancient and powerful weapons called, Judgment of Shamash.

"Come on Adam! If you had seen our client you will understand" He screamed as he shot incendiary bullets to their enemies.

"I did see her Siegfried. But that doesn't mean that you should ignore important details for our work!" He stabbed his spear into the ground to its half and pressed a button on the handle.

"Jump back!"

Siegfried obeyed. He did that while he kept shooting his revolvers on the Chariot. The Chariot sensed a little tremor under it, but it was too late. It turned its head down when the other half of Gungnir shot from the floor and pierced its body. The Chariot vanished. Gungnir upper half-submerged and went back to its original place. Adam took out Gungnir from the floor.

Siegfried turned to Adam. "See? It wasn't _that_ hard." Adam was about to protest when Siegfried shouted.

"Behind you!" Adam kicked off the ground and barely escaped the red beam that could have burnt him. It hit a pair of trees in its way, sending them to oblivion.

Adam kneeled as he landed some meters away. Pushing aside the trees, another two Chariots emerged from the woods and made their way to the clearing where the two men were. The Chariots raised their legs as a challenge to the two warriors.

"So, this is what she meant with big problems." Siegfried scratched his cheek while laughing nervously.

One of the Chariots prepared to assault while the other started to charge its laser beam.

"Screw it! Siegfried, take care of the brawler. Laser eye is mine." Adam commanded. He didn't wait for Siegfried's response. He launched against his objective. The beast was about to finish charging its destructive beam as Adam stopped ten meters from it.

_"__Wait for it."_ The Chariot's eye turned red. Without hesitation, Adam stabbed his spear in the ground as the Chariot fired. From an outsider perspective, this would have appeared suicidal. But it wasn't the case. _"Now!"_ Adam twisted the handle of the spear and in an instant, it deployed a black barrier. The barrier took the full impact of the attack without a scrape.

Surprised, the Chariot took a pair of steps back. Adam twisted again the handle and the wall collapsed back to its lance form.

"I'm tired as shit and I just want to eat dinner and go to sleep. So, let's finish this, shall we?" Adam collapsed Gungnir and stored it in his tactical belt. Using a few seconds to concentrate, crimson tendrils started to form around his arms and legs. They started to take form and the final result was a pair of powerful and threatening claws. His skin became paler, so pale that he looked almost like a ghost. Red veins appeared on his face and his sclera turned black. He looked akin to evil spirit walking through the forest.

With a snarl, Adam jumped against the Chariot. He drew first blood when his claws pierced the upper half and first layers of its body.

"Come on! Is this all you have?" smirked Adam as he continued to cut off more of the Chariot's skin. It groaned in pain and tried to shake off Adam.

"Damn it." Cursed Siegfried seeing Adam. "Well, at least he will have a good night sleep." He rubbed his neck as he fired another round in the fallen Chariot few meters from him.

_"__Claw its insides out!"_ There was a pressure in his head pushing slowly aside his rational mind as he continued hurting the Chariot. _"More. __**Mor**__e. __**More!**__"_ The pressure in his head threatened to overtake his mind. **"Yes! More. Give me more. Let me-! Ag**hh!" Adam screamed as a stab of pain crossed his head. It was all the Chariot needed to shake him off.

Adam fell to the ground with a _thud_. "Adam!" Siegfried shouted and run towards him. Adam kneeled, his claws dissolved away, and started to massage his head, trying to soothe his head pain. Taking advantage of the moment, the Chariot stepped back and started to run away through the woods. The Chariots weren't particularly fast, but this one was running. It was a bizarre sight.

"Don't dare bastard!" Adam fumed seeing the Honkai beast running away. He jumped up and started to run, following his prey. "Adam, wait!" His companion yelled. Adam ignored him. It didn't take him too much to reach the Chariot. _"First, I need to take its legs."_ While he was running, he raised his arm and the black tendrils came back to form a new weapon. He reached the Chariot and jerked his arm. The Chariot fell and rolled on the ground various meters until it stopped. The beast groaned in pain at seeing its left front limb severed.

"End of the line." Adam walked until he was in front of it. His upper right arm took the form of a long and sharp crimson blade. The Chariot tried to stand up. Adam didn't let it. He kicked off the floor and landed at its head side. He turned to his side and made a clean decapitation. But he wasn't over. He jumped over it and fell to the ground, bringing down the sword arm and cutting in half the Chariot's core. Its body disappeared after seconds.

Adam was kneeling, trying to catch its breath.

"Imagine yourself in a frozen forest. Imagine yourself in a frozen forest…" Adam was muttering. As he did that, his face went back to its healthy color and the red veins and black sclera disappeared. The pressure in his head went back to the deep part of his head.

"You know," Adam turned his head and found Siegfried with his arms crossed over his chest and a deadpan face. "It's kind of hypocrite when you call me irresponsible, seeing you killing a Chariot with your own hands."

He got closer to Adam and offered him a hand. Adam took the hand and got up.

"Are you okay, Adam?"

Adam sighed. "Yes. I-I am just tired, Siegfried. That's all." Adam responded in a meek tone. He felt embarrassed, not for receiving help, but for losing his mind.

"Come on. There is a long way to reach the town and I am starving." Adam agreed with him nodding with his head. Siegfried gave a warm smile and put his arm on Adam's shoulders.

"By the way, no matter what you say, you are drinking with me tonight, brat."

"One of us needs to be sober, so we are not robbed, _again, _old man." Adam tried to say another argument before Siegfried interrupted him. "Don't be like that. In a few days, you are going to the Far East and I am going to continue my investigation alone." Siegfried covered his temple with his free hand in a dramatic way. "Who will keep me company in this long and solitary journey?!"

"You just have to make it awkward, don't you?"

The two started to walk under the moonlight towards the town.

* * *

"CHEERS!" Various _clangs_ resonated inside the bar at midnight.

Glassily Forest, yeah, what an original name, was a small town located at the North of Norway. During the last weeks, the town suffered big problems with the constant stalking from the Chariots and a swarm of Angels when the town tried to resupply rations for the incoming winter. There was only one road to get out of the town and it was guarded by the Honkai beasts. Fortunately, Siegfried and Adam were passing by to resupply their rations in the town. At the learning of the Honkai problem, the two volunteered to solve it in exchange for their free resupply and drinks on the local bar once solved the problem. The mayor at first was skeptical, but thanks to one employed from the municipal hall that knew Siegfried from his younger years, the two got the deal.

Some hours after, the pair depart, the mayor had sent someone to check the two have dealt with the problem. The pair didn't bother or got mad from the mayor's distrust, they just wanted to get to the town to be done for the night. They saved a four long hour way back to the town by feet thanks to the car lift. As soon as they arrived, the mayor took them to the local bar, where many people congratulated them. The two, well, specifically Siegfried demanded their reward. Adam made sure to remind Siegfried to not be a dick and to stick to just beer. His threat was to not cook for him for the next two weeks. Knowing his terrible culinary skill, Siegfried agreed in a heartbeat.

Speaking of them, Adam sat in a table in the corner as he saw Siegfried among other bulky men in a drinking contest. He shook his head and took another sip from his seventh beer jar. On occasions like this, Adam was thankful that he possessed a very resistant metabolism. Setting aside his finished dinner, Adam continued to see in silence how his companion and mentor from the last year and a half, made a fool of himself.

"Sorry, is this place taken?"

Adam turned to his side. The person in question was a cute brown haired girl. She was wearing a red tight blouse that accented her bust and waist, and slim blue pants that made her legs look longer. This view wasn't new for Adam or Siegfried. Usually, the pair will receive a different kind of rewards from the people they have helped. Taking _away_ their _stress_ and _tiredness_ from the long journey were included. If he was the same young man that started his journey along Siegfried one and a half year ago, he would have acted flustered and made a fool of himself in front of a girl. But this wasn't the case.

"No. You can take a sit if you want." The girl smiled and sat along with Adam. Neither said anything for five minutes. Adam enjoyed the background music accompanied by the people conversations and occasional laughs. It was comfortable, well, at least for him.

"So tell me handsome, where you come from?" The girl smiled as she asked him.

"From Cape Town, South Africa."

"Really? That's a wonderful city. I couldn't imagine it with living in this little town." She beamed.

Adam tried to not roll his eyes at the 'interested' display. To be honest, he found tiring and bothersome when girls like this one approached him. Don't get him wrong, he found the opposite sex attractive like the straight man that he is, but he knew that this kind of women-only got close to him and Siegfried to boast to the other girls the following morning.

"So, that man is your father?" She inquired. Adam, who was sipping the last of his beer, spluttered. Quickly, he took a napkin and cleaned the beer stains from his clothes and table.

_"__He? My father?!" _The idea was crazy. "He is not. He is my mentor, that's all." In one of his conversations, Siegfried told him that there was a time he was married and even had a daughter. Adam didn't believe him until he showed him a photo of him, his beautiful wife and cute daughter. Even at this moment, Adam can't comprehend what his wife saw in him.

"Oh? So, did your family-" It was a dick move, but Adam just wanted to sleep after a long night of hunting and killing Honkai beasts, along with the fact that he wasn't the social type.

"They are dead. They perished during the catastrophe of Russia." He raised from his chair and ignored the calls from the girl. He broke open through the crowd of people in the bar, searching for his tipsy mentor. He found him, resting his back against the wall, drinking like a fish. "Hey, old man" Siegfried put down his jar and turned to see Adam.

"Mmmhh? What's up kid?" Adam winced at the bad breath of the old man. "I am going to bed. Contact me if you lost your pants or wake up in a tub filled with ice."

"Oh? And here I thought that you will finally get ride off your V-Card." He gave him a lecherous smirk. Adam rolled his eyes.

"You saw?"

"Yeah. To be sincere, it was a little rude to leave the girl like that" Siegfried's smirk disappeared from his face.

"Perhaps, but you know that they only want to show off the following morning." Adam protested.

"True, but there are ways to turn down a girl. Take me for example, just minutes ago, some hot, and I mean really hot women came to me to congratulate me" Siegfried boasted.

"Really?" Adam pretended surprise.

"Yes. And tonight could have been a hot, steamy, sweating-" "To the point! I don't want to hear your sexual fantasies."

Siegfried didn't mind the interruption, "As I was saying, it could have been a hot night, but I explained to them that my biggest virtue doesn't allow me."

"You have virtues?" Adam asked surprised.

_"__Idiot"_ "Yes. I am loyal to my wife to a fault. And there is nothing that could make me shatter that loyalty!" Siegfried declared with an emotional voice and raising his drink. Some drunk men raised their drinks as well and yelled 'Cheers'.

"Even if that means to only pay attention to a woman's body when she is telling you important details like there could be more enemies that could kill us?" Adam sassed with some irritation.

"And that's why pretty women want to spend the night with me instead of a cynical and moody brat." Siegfried went back to drink his tar.

"You know what. Maybe I won't help you this time if you wake up with a missing kidney." Adam turned around and left through the bar's door, ignoring the cheers and laughs behind him. He walked for fifteen minutes before he arrived at their hotel. He greeted the receptionist and went to his room that was on the third floor through the elevator.

He unlocked the door, enter, and locked it once it was closed. He knew that even drunk, Siegfried will knock the door until he opened it. Adam went to quickly check that none of their luggage was robbed. After once incident in New York, Adam started to guard their luggage, despite Siegfried's protests. Once done and finding that nothing was missing, Adam went to the bath of their room.

He just wanted to just get to sleep, but he sweated a lot during the day and wanted to have comfortable night rest. He took off his clothes and entered the shower room. While he was getting for the hot water, the mirror in the bathroom showed his body. His body was covered in many faded scars. The most notables were the ones that ran across his torso and the middle of his extremities, front and backward. On his back was a black tattoo. It portrayed a big eye with many, so many black tendrils coming from it that almost covered his entire back.

After a quick shower, Adam left the bathroom and got dressed. He wore a blue shirt and pair of shorts. He laid in the bed. It didn't take much for his mind to wander in the world of dreams.

* * *

_Peace. It felt like he was floating in an immense ocean of pure calmness and bliss._

_Strangely, all he saw was pure white._

_Oddly enough, he didn't fear it. He welcomed it _

_Bliss and calmness._

_It's what he felt for a long time._

_He knew he wasn't like this originally. He remembered coming here…from somewhere. There was trouble, and __they__, HE needed to come here because…_

_Because…what was he thinking?_

_Oh, yes, pure bliss and calmness._

_He could feel a warm hand rubbing his head._

_The sweetness from a cake with a little too much chocolate._

_Laughing at something stupid although he didn't remember about what._

_The warm contact of skin rubbing against him as her arms-_

**It *** ### *** $$$, #or#.**

_Suddenly his the everlasting dream was shattered like fragile crystal._

_He wasn't floating anymore. He was falling headfirst at great speed. Instinctively he moved his arms in front of him before he touched the ground. More strange, it didn't hurt as he imagined and he didn't feel any of his bones got broken. He just felt vertigo for a moment until his senses calmed after the sudden change of environment._

_Slowly he got up and-_**He was here [again]****_-_**_where was here?_

_He didn't know when a dry branch appeared._

_He turned his head behind, to only see an eternal dark void. He twisted his head quickly, the void scared the shit out of him. Maybe, if he followed the branch, he will find an exit. And he did that. He started walking, following the branch without turning his head, he preferred seeing this old branch than eternal darkness. He kept walking, even when the branch became two and so on. The vines were everywhere. Hanging from the ceiling, the walls and at some point, even the floor was made of these… things._

_But, he continued walking, he __**must**__ have kept walking until he could find an exit. He must. He didn't know how much time he continued. Perhaps minutes, hours, days, months, years! If he was the case, maybe he-_

_He reached __**somewhere**__._

_The branches were everywhere, and the color for this ones was pure and livid red._

_He wanted to puke._

_In the middle of everything, there was a pile of __**something**__._

_"__I must not get close to that thing", his body didn't obey and he walked closer to it._

_Until something __**moved**__ and an indescribable sound boomed around him. It hurt his ears, and somehow, he knew that it wasn't just a spontaneous sound._

_It was a voice._

**"****Wa#E #p W##M!**

_He screamed with all the power his lungs offered._

"FUCK!" Adam screamed as he raised from his slumber on his seat. He was trying to catch his breath. Some of the people in the other seats turned to see him.

"It was a nightmare, Adam." Adam turned to his right and saw that Siegfried was also awake.

"Siegfried?"

"Yup! Who else would have been?" The old man responded with a confused tone.

"Is everything alright?" One of the stewardesses came to the pair.

"Yes. Everything is alright. He was just having a nightmare." Siegfried explained.

"Right. I-I am sorry. I-I will just go to the bathroom to wash my face." Adam got up and left his seat. He ignored the scowls and incredulous stares from the other passengers. Once he reached the bathroom, he locked the door and opened the pommel to wash his face.

_"What the hell was that,"_ Adam thought gravely as he washed his face with cold water.

Adam wasn't unused to nightmares. Sometimes they showed him destruction or dangerous situations. The details slipped his memory once he woke up, but he was sure that these were some of his lost memories after his wake up from the cryogenization.

_"__But this is the first time I saw something like this."_ Once done, he twirled the pommel and dried his face with paper.

He opened the door of the small cabin. He saw that the awakened people after his stunt went back to sleep. He sighed in relief. He didn't want to deal with compliments right now. Silently walking, he returned to his seat. Siegfried was still awake. He was reading something from a motorcycle magazine. In his lap were two bottles of water. He took his seat as Siegfried put down his magazine.

"Feeling better?" He asked.

"Yeah. I-it was just another nightmare. But…"

"But what?"

"W-well, it was pretty different from the usual ones?"

Siegfried looked intrigued.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" Adam looked insecure about this. _"Should I tell him?"_ He thought with doubt. He pondered it for a few seconds before he decided to tell him.

Adam told Siegfried from the start to end about his nightmare. After he was done, Siegfried offered him one of the water bottles. He drank while Siegfried commented. "By what you told me, your dream sounds messed up." Adam nodded at this.

Sometimes there would be sceneries where he was fighting against hordes of zombies or Honkai Beasts. He will fight them alone or accompanied with a group. He didn't remember their faces, but some of them felt important to him. And this wasn't like this in the beginning. A few weeks after he left the secret facility, Adam started to suffer his nightmares. More than one occasion, he woke up screaming, scaring the hell out of Siegfried. After six months, Siegfried suggested that maybe, it was better if he didn't remember, given the screams and the rare tears after awakening.

"To be honest, I'm pretty tired of them."

"Well, once you meet Teri, you could ask her for some psychological help-" He was interrupted by the glare Adam threw him.

Siegfried raised his hands in surrender, "It's just a suggestion. Geez, you don't have to kill me with your eyes."

"You know that I don't' like to speak to them. I feel strange talking about this stuff to a stranger." Adam justified, and it was a weak explanation.

Siegfried sighed in exasperation. This was going to be the last day with him and he rather not wanted to antagonize him. It would be a large time before they see each other again.

The rest of the flight, Adam, not wanting to go back to sleep, turn on his music player in his cellphone while Siegfried went back to sleep for a few hours. The nine-hour flight passed quickly. After got off from the airplane, they picked up their respective luggage. They stayed standing near the exit doors. None of them knew what to exactly say.

"So…"

"So…"

It was awkward.

_"__What I am supposed to say? 'Hey kid, good luck?'"_

_"__This is pretty awkward."_

They didn't know what to say. A simple goodbye seemed too cold and impersonal and they weren't the emotional type.

"Hey dad, are you sure that you will be alright?" The two uncomfortable men turned their heads to a young man speaking with another older man that shared similar features.

"Do you doubt your healthy and wise father, son?

"I do after how you almost burned the house with the coffee maker." The son remarked.

The old man put an arm on his son's shoulder, "My boy, I am an old widower. Your mother wanted me to see and explore the world. After all, it was a dream the two of us shared, but due to circumstances, we hold it up until now."

The man did a bittersweet smile, "Because of me, eh?"

"It was one of the reasons, but we have told you that we don't regret rising you." The old man explained.

"D-Dad!"

The two proceeded to hug. Some viewers felt moved at the sight. As for the two warriors.

"So, do you want a hug?" Siegfried raised his arms.

"Do it and I will yell that you have a bomb with you," Adam said with a deadpanned face. They were silent for a moment before they started to laugh. Some passersby looked at the odd pair. After good seconds of laughing, the two stopped, trying to catch their breaths.

"Are you going be alright without me around?" Siegfried asked cleaning a tear from his eye.

"I should ask you, given your habit to drink and wake up in the trashcan," Adam smirked.

Before he could process it, Siegfried hugged him. He knew that Adam didn't like prolonged physical contact, but he guessed that he may forgive him this time. Slowly, Adam raised his arms and returned the gest.

"Take care of yourself, Adam. The mission may be important, but you can't complete it if you are dead." Siegfried said as he finished the hug.

Adam barely contained the blush in his cheeks, "Likewise. Try to not drink too much."

Siegfried patted him on the shoulder and walked away, crossing the exit doors and disappearing among the sea of people in the airport.

Adam dragged his luggage, crossed the exit doors and took a taxi. He got inside after putting his stuff in the trunk.

"Traveling alone, boy?" He asked, trying to initiate a conversation.

"Yes. From now on, yes." Adam muttered the last part.

As the taxi left the base, Siegfried, using a newspaper as cover, saw the car took off.

_"__Good luck kid. You are going to need it."_

* * *

"So, this is the last stop before going to meet this 'Theresa Baby Doll?'. What a weird name." Adam raised an eyebrow at Siegfried's contact name.

"Well, at least is better than that weird guy. I think he was called, Feratu, Couche Feratu?"

Adam walked towards a cheap hotel in the district. He could have afforded for a better place, but his experience with Siegfried taught him to better be safe with money. _"Especially when we were robbed,"_ Adam remembered bitterly.

Once he registered in the reception and entered his room, he locked the door and throw himself in the bedroom. He was tired of exploring the city during the day. It was still earlier for his usual sleep hours, but he rather reached Siegfried contact in a good mood.

"I'm tired," Adam got out his headphones and music player from his pocket jacket. He put them on and played a list with soft music.

Before he was taken by Morpheus embrace, Adam thought:

_"__I hope that tomorrow is a good day…"_

He will curse that he just jinxed himself the next day.

* * *

**PROTOCOL 'DREAM OF THE GIANT' AND 'CLOSED HEART' RUNNING.**

**SUBJECT, HERMES, IS IN COURSE.**

**SUBJECT, WANDERER KNIGHT, CONTINUES HIS OBJECTIVE.**

**ACTIONS OF SUBJECTS ACT ACCORDING TO PARAMETERS.**

**POSSIBLE DEVIATIONS THAT COULD AFFECT THE PLAN: 00.9%**

**SUBJECTS: MARIE AND HELENA SHOW STABLE VITAL SIGNS, DESPITE THE HARSH CONDITIONS OF THE RAVEN'S NEST. REQUESTING TRANSFER FOR BETTER CONDITIONS AND RISK OF POSSIBLE BREACHES OR ATTACKS.**

**NOBLE KING AND FIRST MAGE SHOW ADVANCE IN THEIR WORK.**

**HANGED KING CONTINUES WITH INVESTIGATION REGARDING THE CREATION OF ANIMUS**

**SITE-07 HAS GONE SILENT. ASSUMING THE OVERSEER ENTERED IN SLUMBER TO KEEP RUNNING IN THE SITE IN FUTURE CASE OF NEED.**

**NONE OF THE FURTIVE SATELLITES HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED SINCE THE LAST REPORT THREE WEEKS AGO.**

**THE UNIT WILL ENTER IN SLUMBER TO KEEP RUNNING POSSIBLE FUNCTIONS.**

**_'_****_MALEDICTUS FRUCTUS VENTRIS TUI ET OPERE HUMANO SALVOS'_**

**PAIMON UNIT OUT**


	2. Chapter 2

**Official Disclaimer: Honkai 3 Impact doesn't belong to me. Hope that you enjoy the story, people.**

**Also, thank you for showing interest in this project of mine. I will try my best to write a good story.**

**Enjoy!**

**(Hey guys, I just saw the problem with numbers and stuff. I loaded again the story, I hope it's okay this time.)**

* * *

_He was choking something gooey and smelly out of his mouth._

_**{Are you alright?! Please answer me!}**_

_There was a soft female voice sounding around him, but he couldn't focus on it when he was puking whatever this thing was._

_**{I am sorry operator!}**__ The voice apologized. __**{It would be hard and awful, but please, I need you to keep expulsing the nutrient liquid from your system until it has completely left your body}.**_

_If he complained, the voice didn't' heard him between chokes. It was necessary to wait another 10 minutes until the nutrient liquid left his body for good, and for the first time, he paid attention to his surroundings. Aside from him being in a puddle of his vomit and smelly goo, he was surrounded by many cylindrical tubes like the one he got out. Many of them were empty or filled with an unknown liquid. The light came from the corners of the room. They illuminated the room enough to see but not to the point of being irritating to his sensitive eyes._

"_Wh-where am I?" His voice sounded weak and rasped. And why was he cold? __**{Operator, I am going to come in. My appearance may fright you, but please, bear with me until I take you the nursery.} **__Not a second later, a 'zoom' was heard and what he previously assumed was a wall slid and a humanoid form appeared. At first, he couldn't see clearly by the light coming from the hall. Until it came close to him, he could see now. It was humanoid composed of blue metallic plated and wires where its joints were. Its head seemed human, or close enough if it wasn't for the big and green lent in the middle of its face._

_He tried to move, but after throwing up for ten minutes, he didn't find the energy in him except to give a few coughs. It kneeled and carried him up gently. The machine didn't find troublesome his weight; he was sure that a least it would be troublesome for it, given its slim frame. They passed through many doors and other hallways. After what felt five minutes, they arrived in a big room filled with medical supplies and other medical gear. It placed him in a big and metallic table located in the middle of the room. It put a big thermal blanket on him._

_**{Hang on, operator, I will come back with the medical tools to aid you in your recovery}**__ It didn't pass much time for him to go back to sleep. _

_When he woke up again he was laying in a warm and comfy bed. He noted that there were some tubes connected to his arms and a monitor was checking his pulse. _

_**{Good morning Operator}**__, he turned his head to the right and there was again the blue humanoid robot. __**{For a moment I was worried that the sudden expulsion from your cryogenization may have harmed you}**__. Its soft voice was filled with worry for a moment. __**{But it seems that it wasn't the case, we will wait until the stimulants injected in your system help you regain total mobilization of your body}**__. It rubbed softly its cold hand against his head in a soft manner. After fifteen minutes, the fatigue that pressed his body was slowly lifted. With a little help from the android, he sat up in the bed._

_**{It's good to see that there isn't muscle atrophy}. **__Its tone was chirpy. He slowly moved his hands and feet fingers. "W-where…is this…?" His voice was still rasped. He trembled a little at the cold air hitting his naked frame. Gently, the android put the mantle that previously covered him over his back. __**{Tell me, Operator, what do you remember?}**__ The android inquired. _

_He tried to remember. "I… I was sent here because…because there was so-something, and I needed to… I need to!-Aggh!" He stopped thinking when a strong ache pierced his mind. __**{Take it slowly Operator. Let's start with something basic, what is your name?}**__ It put its hand over his shoulder. He tried to think about his name. "My name, my name is… my name is-" there was another ache, but this time it wasn't as painful like the first._

"_My name is- my name is Adam."_

Adam opened his eyes as the heaviness of his sleep started to fade away. He took off his earphones, got up from his bed and went to the bathroom to get ready for the day. A shower and change of clothes later, Adam got his cellphone and checked the hour. He was wearing the same set of clothes, but these were clean.

"What the-? How can it be at half-past two in the afternoon?!" He didn't understand. Sure, during his journey with Siegfried, the two didn't mind waking up earlier in the mornings, but at least they would wake up at nine in the morning, at worst, at mid-afternoon after a hard workday or when they heavy drink night.

"Damn, I wanted to get up earlier to reach Soukai City as soon as possible. Note to me, not sleep with earphones again." He deduced that the earphones were the reason he overslept.

Adam sighed and went to his luggage to equip his weapons. Call him paranoid, but knowing the unpredictable nature of the Honkai, and to always expect the unexpected, he preferred to be ready to defend himself before possible attacks. That and certain close calls with his mentor made him cautious over any situation.

_"I can't still believe that we almost died at that time because we thought it was 'safe'." _He remembered bitterly. On one occasion he and Siegfried had a job to clean up a nest of angels at South America in a remote village. The Angels' attacks and the presence of opportunist bandits to robe the scarce stuff the villagers had, made the village's people practically beg the duo to help them. The humid air, locating the nest in the jungle and fighting in the dark made the task difficult. But the real problem wasn't the nest, oh no, the main problem was the goddamn bandits. They attacked them when they let their guard down in their way to the village. The raiders thought the duo were exhausted after the battle with the nest. Tired, yes, but exhausted, not exactly.

The bandits wanted the pair gone from the region. The group was forcing the other local villages to give them money and rations in exchange for _protection_ against the beasts. And according to them, Siegfried and Adam just broke their business. The duo had encountered similar groups exhorting people for supposed protection against _raiders_ and beasts. But these people were pure trash. They took some hostages from the village when they were coming back. Adam didn't remember what exactly happened after they shot him when he tried to help a hostage little girl, he saw red. He woke up three days later in a boat with a heavy injured Siegfried. According to him, the two killed the group and went to their den and exterminated the rest of the bandits. Siegfried didn't enter in details, but Adam knew that Siegfried omitted various things. Since that day, Adam's combat powers increased exponentially as Siegfried wariness when Adam over-used his powers and lost a little control.

Adam's trip to the memory lane was interrupted when he heard dull hits on the wall. He got confused and got closer to it. He stood there until he heard the dull 'thuds' again. He started to grow concerned until he picked up the creak of a bed. It took a pair of seconds for his brain to connect the dots. "Blagh!" Adam stepped away from the wall in distaste. He shook his head and finished equipping his two sword handles in a dual shoulder holsters and a pair of HK VP9 pistols in his back dual holster.

"And I was getting worried for nothing." Adam grabbed his wallet and left his room. He heard some growls, but he ignored them. It wasn't his issue if people screwed this earlier. Adam went to the elevator, but find out that it was out of service.

"That's strange, yesterday it was working pretty well." He noted. Shrugging his shoulders, he took the stairs. It took him little to reach the main level. To his surprise, it was completely alone. "….Stranger." Usually, at this hour, people will be moving around, but to not see anyone and the even silence. "Whatever, I will go to the cafeteria and grab something to eat." As he walked through the halls, he noted that they were desolated. "Or I am still sleeping or did I miss today was 'hide and seek day'?" He spotted a person walking in the hall. He was staggering, bumping into the walls as he walked. Adam could only saw his back, but he had a bad feeling about this.

"I hope I'm wrong," Adam muttered as he walked towards the guy. He thought to draw one of his weapons, but seeing that the hallway wasn't big enough for him to wear his weapon without trouble, he decided for a safe option in case that it was just his imagination. Small tendrils formed in the border of his right hand, transforming it into a small blade. "Hey, good afternoon." Adam greeted. The guy stopped moving. "Sorry, but, do you know why it's so lonely…" Adam closed his mouth when the man turned around to see him. He looked like the average office man, but what outstood about him was the unhealthy gray skin, unfocused eyes and the way his mouth opened wider than normally possible. He started to move towards Adam in slow motion. Adam didn't move, his hair covered his eyes as his mouth grimaced. _"You have to be shitting me."_ He thought annoyed.

The man, if that he could be called, got closer to Adam, and in a sudden movement, he lunged at him. In a simple movement, Adam decapitated him. Adam stepped aside as the body fell to the ground, a second later the head joined him. "Tch!" Adam clicked his tongue annoyed. "A zombie in Nagazora City could only mean one thing." As if it was a command, different steps and moans started to be heard around him. Adam didn't wait to see who were. "So a Herrscher has appeared." He growled in contempt.

Adam ran back to his room. When he was about to open the upper staircase door, two female zombies slammed the door open and tried to grab him. Adam stepped aside and using the same movement, he cut one head, rolled on his feet and punched through the head of the second. _"Troublesome."_ He got his hand out of the broken skull and run to his room. Once he reached his room, he closed the door with the lock and grabbed a desk and closet that were inside and blocked the door.

"It will buy me a few minutes. But I don't doubt it won't last much against a lot of them." He went to the bathroom and quickly washed his hand covered in blood and gray matter. He went to one corner of the room, where his complete luggage rested. "I better take the essential." Adam took a medium back-pack from his suitcase and begin to put just the vital necessities in it. He grabbed a change of clothes, a few canned food, a canteen that he quickly filled with water, his 'official documents', a tiny blue bottle with pills and a letter that Siegfried gave to him before they took the airplane. He saved the tiny bottle in one of his pants' pockets. He took eight magazines that his pouches allowed, along with a grenade. A little gift from one of their previous works. Adam left behind clothes and some books and comics that he used to read during his free time.

Once he finished, Adam heard many knocks in his room along with multiple moans from the hallway. Knowing that the door was out of the question, Adam opened a glass door that led him to his terrace. He turned his sight to the main road and street below him and found out that there were a lot of zombies walking across the streets. In the distance, fumes were coming from buildings. Adam shook his head in sorry for the transformed people of the city. He tightened up the backpack's strap as he went back to the room. He kneeled next to the barricade like a runner in a competence. The bangs in the room got stronger.

"Well, I guess it's all or nothing." Adam shot up and ran at fast speed. Little webs appeared on the floor for each step he gave. When he reached the terrace's railing, Adam put a foot on it and using the momentum, he jumped. The applied big force squashed the poor railing. Adam gained a big altitude with his escape-jump.

"Wow." He marveled at the sight. The sky was a little cloudy, some places were cleared, allowing to see the blue sky above the cloudy white-sea. The sunlight and the clouds gave a good effect. Adam noted that the sky along with the buildings below looked like a good picture for a postal.

Adam felt that he started to lose altitude. _"Good things tend to end quickly."_ He sighed in disappointment. Crimson tendrils formed on his back and created a pair of crimson metal-organic winds. Adam used the wind and with his new appendages, he started to guide his descent. He landed on a roof from one of the middle-large buildings. "OK. First, I need to get out of the city ASAP. Two, if possible, maybe find the Herrscher on my way and see if it's possible to kill it. And third…" His stomach snarled in protest. "Have breakfast." It snarled again. "Right, first I need to eat something."

* * *

A can of cold soup and few sips of water later. Adam moved through the roofs of the buildings. While there were some taller buildings that he couldn't reach alone with just jumping, Adam transformed his arms into whips with serrated and pointed tips to swing through walls and cornices. It was effective to avoid the groups and forming zombie hordes roaming the now dead city and made the travel between buildings easy. Sometimes he would stop to rest and cool down his powers, or avoid big groups of zombies that were in his way. Things got harder when Knights and Chariots began to materialize. Adam avoided them at all costs. While he could defeat them, he preferred to save his energy and didn't want to be overrun in the large term. This made him wait between long intervals to move again until he saw the Honkai beasts disappeared from his way.

"And I thought this was a calm city." He said sarcastically. Despite his best efforts, he still had a long way to reach the city's borders. He was sitting at a tall build's floor edge that was a pair of blocks apart from a big school. From one of his jacket pocket, he took a cigarette pack and a lighter. He grabbed a cigarette and saved the pack. He put it in his mouth, lighted it up and put away the igniter. Adam took a pair of puffs and sighed with the cigarette hanging from his mouth, white smoke left his mouth as he contemplated the sunset in peaceful silence. Well, as silent as possible, considering the multitude of moans and growls coming from the streets.

"_Damn it. At this pace, it would take me another day to leave this city. I hope that they don't destroy it before that."_ Adam pondered in trouble. He knew that it was a question of time before Schicksal decided to launch a Honkai Fusion Missile to wipe out the city if there weren't signs of survivors in the next 24 hours. That time could get shorter in case Honkai activity started to grow or threatened the region. What happened in the Second Honkai War was a good example.

_**BANG! BANG BANG!**_

"_Survivors?!"_ Adam was surprised. After spending time making his way across the city, he was honestly surprised at the possibility of people surviving the Honkai Concentration in the city. They could be Valkyries dispatched by Schicksal, but that may be improbable. _"If it was the case, a grand part of the city would already be a war zone if they have found the Herrscher. They have the tech to locate them."_ Adam reflected. While killing the Herrscher may have been an option before, fighting it was suicide now. For all he knew, the Herrscher may still be dormant, gathering power for its 'presentation' and getting stronger. That and the increased presence of Knights and Chariots were clear signs of the Herrscher growth.

_**BOOM!**_

Adam thoughts disappeared when an explosion occurred in the school premises. He saw smoke and fire coming from deep the school. The horde on the streets growled in anger and started to walk towards the school. _"Well, speaking of good luck." _Adam got up and checked his back-pack was tightened to his back. "Sucks to be you guys." Adam turned back and started to scan where to swing to continue his escape.

_"Are you going to leave them to their fates?"_ He heard a soft childish voice in his head.

"No! Not now. I need to reach Soukai City, that's final." He growled. If there were alive persons in the city, they would freak out at seeing a young man yelling to no one. _"They need your help." _"I need to leave before this chance passes! I don't know if you can see this, but I'm in a goddamn city infested to the brim with zombies and beasts." Adam saw another building for him to land and continue his escape.

"_Siegfried will be disappointed in you."_ Adam spat the cigar on the roof. "He knows the mission is first. YOU know what is at stake. I'm not risking my life for someone that could be already dead with the stunt they just pulled. And remember, Hestia told me that one must value their well-being above others in survival situations. Heroes are fools who die sooner than anyone else." The voice went silent. Adam smirked in satisfaction. "Seems that you got the point." He went to the opposite side of the roof to create distance and gain velocity before making the jump. He saw a good landing point and started to run.

"_Mom, Celeste and Katherine would be disappointed." _It immediately created spikes on his feet. Concrete lifted as he swept, barely stopping at the building's edge. Adam rested on his back for seconds before he jumped up. The spikes dissolved from his feet. "You did have to mention them, didn't you? That's low." Adam grunted annoyed with a scowl on his face. Adam turned to the school and saw that a lot of zombies gathered at the big main door.

"You better not bother me if I found them dead." Adam walked to the opposite direction of the school. He kneeled, again, but this time he concentrated. Crimson tendrils formed on his legs, making them stronger and flexible. Adam shot out at great speed, he almost appeared to be a blur. He jumped, leaving a little crater on the edge and ascended a great height. _"Well, here I go!" _Adam fell towards the school at great speed. The large jump proved to be effective when he went over the main gate and fence. As he got closer to the ground, one zombie, wandering in the large courtyard, looked up, its attention was caught at hearing the whistle of Adam cutting through the wind. Tendrils formed around his extremities, creating a shield under him.

_**CRASH!**_

Adam crushed the poor bastard, leaving a red crater, the only proof that there was a person before. The tendrils and the whiteness on his face disappeared. Adam got up and took out a golden sword handle. The grip and pommel were black with enough space to wield it with two hands. Until there, it looked like a normal sword, but the unusual part, (besides the lack of a blade), was the golden guard cross. The guard resembled a distorted crown. On it, there were carved unknown glyphs along with little images of humanoid forms and vines surrounding them. It was a true work of art, but it didn't overshadow the true combat prowess of the sword.

"Drink," Adam commanded. Little pinches grew from the handle and pierced his hand. Adam's lips twitched uncomfortably at the wounds generated by the sword. He felt how his blood was being sucked with a cold sensation running through his hand. After a few seconds, the pinches retracted and from the guard, a red blade sprouted out. The blade's length was 47 inches. The sword name was Omen.

Adam saw a security camera set in a wall. _"I just hope the security cameras are out of order. It would be a real problem explaining this before I met with Theresa Baby Doll."_ The main preoccupation of Adam was getting caught red-handed using his powers by Schicksal. This was due to the unknown origin power that he held. Shit, he didn't even know the exact details about it. It just felt kind of normal for him. Well, as normal for a young man with morphing strange matter powers and physic condition above the normal human being.

"_Well, if the survivors told them about my powers, I will just say that it's PTSD. I will rather be on their good side and not in a laboratory for experiments."_ Adam flinched remembering some of the old abandoned laboratories that he and Siegfried raided during their journey. The pair left these facilities with bitter mouths at seeing the number of corpses and 'failed experiments' in the basements.

Adam shook his head, pushing the bad memory back. Adam ran towards the fire, cutting apart zombies that started to come with clean cuts. Omen was sharp. He left a trail of red as he was making his way to the fire's direction. It didn't take long for him to arrive at the blast zone. Flames were scorching the grass around, pieces of glass and wood from the room that exploded. Zombies' corpses burned around, making a fetid smell that almost made Adam puke.

"Hey, is anyone alive?!" He tried to ignore the rotten smell. Nobody answered. "Does someone hear me?!" He screamed again louder. He only heard the moans of incoming zombies near the explosion. Adam moved around the fire, trying to see if perhaps the people were knocked out after such explosion. He only found more undead corpses and broken furniture. After not finding anyone, he cursed "Son of a bitch." He hissed. "I knew that I shouldn't have to come! Why the hell I listened to you?!" No voice answered. More growls started to get closer. Adam turned and saw that a horde started to form. Adam was about to transform his legs and escape when he heard again gunshots. They didn't sound far away from him.

"_Lucky day for you."_ Adam turned and started to run towards the noise. He cut zombies that got too close to him, leaving the rest behind. He heard the shots were coming from an old building. At its backside, a group of zombies was gathering. He deducted the survivors were barely keeping the zombies away. He unsheathed a gun from his back holster and started to fire. It was effective. Some zombies turned their attention to him. This gave the survivors a little room to breathe. Adam and they kept shooting and chopping heads until the last zombie of the group fell with its head blown off. Adam released the empty magazine and reloaded the gun quickly.

Adam turned on his feet, his sight and hands strained for a new guest. There weren't zombies near to them. "Hey. Thanks for the help." Adam turned again and saw the people he just helped. The one who thanked him was a beautiful girl wearing a white school uniform similar to the zombies they just slaughtered. She had a cute face, pure and snow-white beautiful skin, bright blue eyes and silver hair. Her hair was combed in a pair of braids with black hair clips. He noted that she was 4 inches shorter than him. Adam turned his eyes to the person behind her. She was another beautiful girl. She had long black-bluish hair tied in different places, a cut face and dulled violet eyes. She was also wearing a uniform similar to the silver beauty but this one had a purple theme. She was sitting there, barely paying attention to her surroundings. Adam guessed she was in a state of shock with the zombies and beasts running around.

"You are welcome." Adam lowered his sword and sheeted his gun. He got closer to the female duo. The silver-haired girl raised her hand to shake his. He corresponded the gesture "Hello! I'm Kiana Kaslana. Again, thanks for the help. I could have killed all them alone, but it would have been a waste of bullets." Adam's eyes widened at her last name. _"You got to be kidding me. She is that drunk daughter!"_ Unconsciously, he got closer to her face and passed his eyes quickly over her, paying attention to her features. _"Well, the hair and resemblance to that old photo are proof enough. But seriously, what the hell Siegfried's woman saw in him?"_ Even to this day, it was hard for Adam to believe that Siegfried was married to a beautiful and good woman, according to Siegfried anecdotes.

"E-excuse me. Do I have something on my face?" Adam noted that she was uncomfortable at the close distance. He released her hand and stepped back apologizing. "S-sorry. You just remembered me of someone I knew in the past." "I-I see." She responded flustered. The ambient went awkward.

Adam fake coughed, trying to dissipate the uncomfortable ambient. "Hello. I'm Adam Alighieri. I was running away when I heard an explosion. I came to see what happened." _**"You would have left them to their own devices. You only came because your 'little conscience' nagged you"**_A sinister voice whispered in his head. _"Shut up!"_ Adam screamed internally at it. It didn't add anything else.

"Is that so?" Kiana was surprised. "Yeah. Some idiot thought that it could have been a good idea to attract these guys attention blowing up a building." Adam gestured with his sword to the corpses.

"Take that back! I was trying to escape with this girl when they surrounded us near the canteen. It was blowing the canteen or being eaten alive!" Kiana argued.

"And the result, you just called the attention of the zombies outside and inside the school." He explained in an even voice. _"Please, don't' be like your idiot father," _Adam begged. "It was in the heat of the moment. What you would have done?" Kiana asked challenging. Adam was about to retort when a growl interrupted him. _"This isn't the place for something like this. We need to move."_

"Later. We need to get out of here before they over-run us." Adam said. Kiana nodded and took a new magazine from a pouch at her tight. Her skirt fluttered a bit, giving Adam a flash of white and blue stripes. She loaded her gun and went for the sitting girl behind her.

"We need to go. Get up." The girl didn't move. Kiana sighed and took the girl's arm. She forced her to get up and pulled her. "I don't know what's going on her head. But she has been like this since I found her alone in her classroom." Kiana explained.

"We will deal with her later. First, we need to go to a safe place. Do you know somewhere?"

Kiana brought her hand to her chin thinking. The Chiba Academy, her school, was pretty big. It was one of the most attended schools in the city. It had many large buildings to house the many classes and clubs for the over-populated student body. Archery, swimming pool, drama club, you name it and they had it. Now the once bright academy that supplied many necessities became into a death trap with zombie hordes inside the premises.

They started walking. Adam and Kiana paid attention to their surroundings. "When they started to transform this morning, I tried to reach the gates, but the emergency exists were being blocked by the panicking students and zombies. I was hiding in one of the classrooms until I heard her screaming. By then, they were chasing us. We were on our way to this old building until they ambushed us by the canteen." Kiana guided the girl and Adam towards another building. It was a large gymnasium. "I guess, this is our only option if we don't want them to get us." Adam nodded, but something in what Kiana said perturbed him. _"Since this morning? Then, why the Honkai wave didn't wake me up? I have felt it before, but in lower intensity."_ Adam reflected gravely. He didn't know if it had something to do with his powers, but he could _feel_ the Honkai energy when it presented in concentrated quantities. It made him feel uncomfortable and anxious. Siegfried told him that it was really helpful when it came to measuring their next move when they were hunting in the wild.

Adam decided to investigate that later. "So, why are we coming here?" He asked Kiana. "The doors in the gym are pretty tough and easy to block. There were complaints about it but they need to attend it. Something to do about prizes and budget." Kiana shrugged explaining.

Luckily for them, the gymnasium premises were devoid of zombies. Kiana and Adam blocked the doors with whatever furniture and gym equipment they found. Seeing that it was almost night, they decided to use some gym mats and towels they found in a closet as improvised beds. Using the lights of their cellphones, they made their way to the roof. Adam blocked the door with a piece of wood he found. Kiana was occupied making the beds and the silent girl was resting against the wall.

"It isn't perfect. But at least is better than sleeping in the cold." Kiana sighed as she was kneeling, finishing making the beds.

_**Growl!**_

Adam turned to see Kiana making a frustrated face. "Aghh! I'm so hungry! Why I didn't steal something from the canteen when I had the chance." She whined. A rainy cloud formed over her head. Adam raised an eyebrow at the scene. Deciding to calm the girl, Adam put down his backpack and opened it. He took out the last three cans of food he had. "Kiana, here." Adam handed her the cans. Kiana mood changed in an instant. Stars appeared in her eyes at seeing the canned food. "Oh! Thanks, Adam. I forgive you for calling me an idiot earlier". She chirped.

She eagerly opened a can of soup and started to eat, no, devour it. "Kiana, remember it's for everyone." Adam scolded her. "I know it! I didn't plan to eat all the food. I also consider you two. Meanie" She showed her tongue to him.

"_Childish attitude, check. Having a black hole for a stomach, check. Airheaded, check. Kiana, you are truly Siegfried's child."_ Adam thought. He grabbed a can of meat and vegetable soup and went to the inactive girl. She didn't move except her legs when Kiana dragged her. "Here." The girl didn't answer. Adam sighed at the lack of response. He put the vegetables can in front of her. "Look, I don't know what happened to you. But you better start to move if you don't want to die." The girl didn't say anything." Kiana kept eating while watching the two.

"I know all this looks like a shit storm, but the three of us may make it out of the city. For that, _all_ of us need to cooperate. As how stands now, you are dead-weight and you are dragging us down." "Hey!" Adam turned to Kiana. She had a frown on her face. "That was uncalled for. Give her a breath. I found her among the corpses of her classmates!" She fumed.

"Look, Kiana. I know that I'm sounding like an asshole. But right now she is slowing us down. I'm not saying that we leave her behind. But she better start to move, because sooner or later, you or I could be killed trying to save miss catatonic here." Adam explained. "Still-!" Kiana was about to retort when she was interrupted by a new voice. "D-dead?" Kiana and Adam turned to the girl, who lifted her head. Her violet eyes showed a little spark. "Don't' pay attention to him! He is just being mean." Kiana chided.

"I'm not trying to be an asshole, but-" "W-why?" She asked. By the vacant look on her face, she appeared to be speaking with her-self. "Why what?" Adam inquired. The girl still didn't look at him. "Why, why I didn't die?" The girl started to cry at saying this. Kiana felt cold running through her. She got up and went to the girl. Adam flinched when a stab of pain pierced his head for an instant at hearing this.

"Hush. Don't say that." Kiana said as she hugged her. Seeing Kiana hugging the crying girl, made Adam feel bad. "Shit. I'm sorry. I-I will just mount guard while you two sleep on the beds." Kiana gave a short nod. She dragged the still crying girl to the makeshift beds. They lay down. Kiana covered her and the girl with the towels. Adam got up on the roof access. He unsheathed his two pistols as he paid attention to the gymnasium surroundings.

"Good job at making her cry asshole." Adam hissed. After ten minutes, the girl stopped crying. Other ten minutes later, she and Kiana entered a deep slumber while Adam kept guard with a lit cigarette in his mouth. Zombie growls and regret accompanied Adam that night.

* * *

_**THUNG!**_

Adam woke up startled. _"Shit! How can I fall slept in this kind of situation"_ He reproached to himself. It was still earlier. The sun still didn't get out. Adam turned his sight to the ground and his breath went still. Around the gymnasium were a lot of zombies. Calling multitude was short. It was a big damn horde of undead surrounding them. The horde didn't show signs of activity except for growling and drooling. Adam saw that the silent girl was at the railing looking down to the horde.

He jumped down to the roof and went to wake up Kiana. He shacked her shoulder a couple of times. Her eyes twitched and were about made a big yawn when Adam put his hand over her mouth. At the sudden action, Kiana eyes shot open and saw Adam with his hand making a gesture over his mouth. "We have a big damn horde of zombies. Don't make a single noise or they will go wild." Kiana nodded. Adam stepped back and let her got up. Adam went to tell the same to the silent girl.

"Hey." He whispered to her. She didn't turn around. Adam sighed. "I'm sorry if I sounded insensitive. But I'm not good with words and yesterday, well, today is also a bad day. You can hit me and insult me all you want, but to do that we need to get out of the city." The girl still didn't turn around. Thinking that she was in another catatonic episode, Adam grabbed her arm to drag her from the railing. It was a mistake.

Adam's left arm went limp. He stepped back surprised.

"What the hell?" He muttered. He tried to move his arm, but it didn't obey him. Neither his hand nor fingers. He saw electricity moving around his extremity.

A feeling of drear filled him as the silent girl turned to see him.

"Adam. You are right we are-" "Kiana step-back now!" Adam ordered her. He heard the horde below going wild. "What the hell, Adam?! You told me to be silent and now you make the horde go crazy. Now we are in big trouble!" Adam gave her a dry chuckle. "No Kiana. We aren't in big trouble." A wing made of electricity materialized on the silent girl's back as she elevated in the air. Kiana gasped.

Adam and Kiana just found out the reason that caused the Honkai Outbreak in Nagazora City.

A Herrscher.

Electricity rays shot out from the girls back as stormy black clouds formed over them

"We are so fucked."


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Honkai Impact 3rd doesn't belong to me. (If it was the case, Himeko wouldn't have to die and Otto can eat shit and die in a hole cry-reading a doujinshi about Kallen getting NTR by Sakura!)

*Ehem* Please enjoy it!

Also, leave comments (no insults, please,) they would be helpful to continue making and improving this story.

* * *

_After some hours of making tests to verify that there wasn't anything wrong with Adam, Hestia, the auto-identified robot, or more specific, the Artificial Intelligence overseer of the Site Olympus, got him comfortable clothes to the coldness and took him to another room where, according to it -her- they would discuss the matter about his actual whereabouts and reason to be here._

_Along the way, Adam, now wearing white thermal clothes together with a jacket, took note of the installation, that according to Hestia, it was under Antarctica. Knowing where they were, it was obvious why the weather at Olympus was freezing cold. Walking another few minutes and taking an elevator to get up to the upper levels of the base, finally, they reached a big and clean meeting room.  
_

_In the middle of it, there was a half-moon sofa set with gray and blue seats. Hanging from the cell, there was a circular machine, similar to a disco sphere; at the left of the room there was a mini bar set to the wall and at the right, there was some kind of odd rectangular screen fixed to the wall._

_**{Please Adam, take a sit.}**__ Following Hestia's words, Adam sat in the middle of the sofa while Hestia took place at the side of the screen. __**{What you are you going to see may amaze you. Other things will horrify you, but I want you to know that what are you about to experiment is necessary for you to regain your former knowledge.}**_

_Hestia's voice was heavy with decision and care. Adam gulped a little but nodded, indicating he was ready to hear or see what was needed._

_The ball in the ceiling, that turned out to be a projector, turned on and showed a series of images in different contrasts on the screen. They were really strange; some showed simple images like a beach, a forest, bridges, animals, skyscrapers, an average house; others showed… strange things, like strange plants and occasionally a zombie._

"_Sorry, but, what I 'm supposed to see?"_

_**{It appears that it's needed to accelerate the process. Please, relax and think in nothing except to see the images.}**__ Hestia advised._

_The set of images started again, but this time faster and the images had different contrasts that the first time._

_**{What do you see?} **_

"_Well, for starters, I see…" Adam described common things again. After long minutes of repeating the same process, Adam exhaled exhausted._

"_Hestia, can we take a break? I am starting to feel dizzy." Adam said taking a hand to his head. It was a normal reaction after seeing the same images over and over again._

_**{Let's try again one last time, Adam. I know it's tedious for you, but you must complete this procedure.}**__ Hestia insisted._

_Adam sighed annoyed. "Alright, Hestia. One last time."_

_**{Alright. But this time allow me to try something else. It may be uncomfortable, but please bear with it until the procedure it's completed.}**__ As she just finished saying this, a little buzz, similar to a mosquito, took place in the room.  
_

_More images appeared again. In the first minutes, Adam didn't feel anything different. But he noted that as the seconds passed, the buzz was raising little by little.  
_

"_A see a dog, a house, a fire, a tree, a… a church and a forest in fire…"_

_Corpses lying in the ground as the fire devours everything in its path…_

"_A…beach…"_

_Blood and dust staining the concrete ground as an explosion sounds in the distance…_

"_Chocolate…cake"_

_He is smiling with his family. They are singing a lame happy birthday song while his mother puts a big chocolate cake on the table._

"_A white tower…"_

_The antiseptic smell fills his nose. The continuous beeps from a monitor heart rumble inside his ears._

"_Purple Lilacs and… sunflowers…"_

_Her bites make him hiss in pleasure and he answers in kind with his tongue and hands…_

"_An aquarium…"_

_He is ogling the painting at the gallery. His big sister says that one day she will be a great artist with paint. He laughs at her and his ear is pulled by his big cousin._

"…_the moon…"_

_Angry howls resonate in the night while he swims in a sea of carnage against hordes of beasts…_

"_R-rainy days…"_

_The weather is terrible, but their smiles and the warm in that little house made him feel safe and happy._

"…_white chrysanthemums…"_

_The rain is terrible. He can barely see how they lay down the coffin with annoying water in his eyes…_

"…_the sea…"_

_He is sinking in the azure and calm water. There is something large swimming around him, but it doesn't follow him because he continues sinking further and that makes the thing around bristle in fear while he continues his fall to the…_

"…_a-abyss…!"_

_The air is putrid. ###############. He can barely move his legs. They tremble as they stop to obey him. He falls. He is crawling now. He craws for a long time until he ####. #########. Something enters his __body__ soul. And it…#######################################_

_Lava and nails run across his body. They made him flinch in a ball because the pain is too much._

_His ##### and ##### made him ######### and then __**he ####### them!**_

_###########################################################################################################################################################################################################################_

_Humanity must survive, no matter what._

_That's why he #######################_

"_**D**__E__**$##$!=?\\\\############**__!"_

_Screws twist his skull and bitter fire runs down his throat._

_Snarls and hisses bark inside his head and the cold touch of light burns away his flesh…!_

_**{Operator!}**__ Adam heard Hestia scream in panic while blood left through his nostrils and he puked on the carpet. His conscious left him before he hit the ground._

* * *

"We are so fucked."

Lightning bolts charged and shot from the girl's back. Some of them hit randomly places, others almost stroked the pair. Seeing this, Kiana and Adam jumped back.

"H-hey! What's wrong with you?!" Kiana screamed at the girl. "She is a Herrscher!" Adam yelled at her, evading another lightning bolt that almost performed him.

"Ahhh~" She exclaimed contented. "It feels fantastic to finally be free after all this time." The Herrscher extended her limbs, moving them as if it had been the first time in ages. The random shots stopped, but the twitching rays were still present over her back. Adam and Kiana were tense at being in front of one of the main threats of humanity.

The Herrscher came down to the roof and passed her eyes over the pair with contempt.

"I have hoped for a better audience than just two pathetic humans." She moved a lock of hair behind her ear. "I guess I will have to settle with just you two for the moment," she said offhandedly. She charged bolts of electricity on her hands.

"Dodge!" Kiana and he jumped around on the large gymnasium roof avoiding bolts of pure lighting.

Kiana drew her gun and started to fire. Seeing this, the Herrscher used her wing like a shield to cover herself from the bullets while she stopped firing the bolts. Seeing this, Adam moved his right hand to his back to unsheathe one of his guns, but when his hand touched the empty sheathes, he cursed.

"Shit!" Adam remembered that he left them on the access when he woke up. Kiana's shots stopped. She was recharging. At seeing this, the Herrscher launched towards her at great speed with an arm extended.

"Fool!" She screamed. Her arm was surrounded by lighting. Kiana jumped aside, barely avoiding the Herrscher attack. Some of Kiana's hairs bristled at the closeness of concentrated electricity. A single punch could kill a normal human. At seeing Kiana's dexterity, speed and gun handling, Adam deducted that she was a Valkyrie in training. The strike may not kill her, maybe immobilize her, like his arm.

Taking advantage of the situation, Adam jumped to the entrance roof for his guns. He found them laying there. Quickly, he kneeled to grab them. He didn't have a problem moving his right arm, but his left one was a different matter.

"_I can barely move it."_ He cursed internally. _"I hope this helps"_. Adam quickly concentrated and summoned a few tendrils over his left arm. His face didn't blanch completely, the only sign that he was using his powers was a little whitening and a red vein at the left side of his neck. The dumb sensation started to disappear rapidly. He moved his fingers and arm and was satisfied with the results.

"You dare to turn your back on a Queen?!" The Herrscher snarled at Adam. He quickly grabbed his guns. Instinctively, he kicked off to his left. He was right at doing this, for in an instant the roof's access was leveled down.

Adam rolled backward on his back two times before he stood up and pointed his two guns towards her. Not far from him, Kiana did the same. The two immediately shot at the Herrscher while she used her wing as a shield. Despite the constant gunfire, the Herrscher launched towards them as she charged a lightning bolt on her right hand. Adam's guns made a _'click',_ indicating that he emptied the magazines.

He quickly went to reload his guns. Seeing this, the Herrscher launched at him, angry that he managed to evade her last attack. "Stay still maggot!" She ordered. "That's not gonna happen!" Adam responded while jumping around and shooting at her in intervals, trying to create as much distance as possible between the two. As minutes passed, the Herrscher started to gain more speed and easiness moving around.

It didn't take much for his magazines to run dry. The Honkai Queen smirked and rapidly lunged at him, making a lance-shaped with her hand surrounded in electricity. While she moved through the air, a trail of sparks followed her.

"_Shit!"_ Adam cursed. He leaned his body to his left, barely avoiding the attack. He knew that attack was lethal when a burnt tear was made on his right side jacket, creating a long cut on his right side.

"_Damn it!"_ Adam hissed at the stung on his right side. "Adam!" Kiana cried out as she finished putting a fresh magazine in her gun and fired at the Herrscher.

The Honkai envoy raised her wing in time to block the salvo of bullets coming on her way, but it distracted her enough for Adam to drop his right gun and unsheathe his handle sword, Omen. He instantly summoned the blade and throw an upward slash at his enemy on her right side. The Lighting Queen stepped back but she wasn't fast enough to avoid totally the attack. Blood sprouted from her right side. The cut wasn't too large but proved to be painful for the Herrscher.

"Ahhh!" She cried in pain. She jumped back. "How dare you maggot to harm a Queen?!" She hissed angered. Adam snorted. "Deal with it."

Kiana approached him while keeping her gun on the Lighting Queen. "Adam. "Are you alright?" He touched the cut with his hand. It wasn't a long cut, but the wound was bleeding lightly.

"Yeah. I'm fine."

The air around them was tense. The pair have been shooting the Herrscher for minutes and so far it had proven to be ineffective. The pair didn't want to test their chances in hand-to-hand-combat given her progressive speediness and piercing attacks. Especially Adam after having his left hand immobilized. The Herrscher stay put, keeping her hand on her wound while throwing a death glare to him.

"Any plans?" He asked Kiana. "I was about to ask you the same."

The wound caused by Omen started to steam and slowly close. The envoy hissed in pain.

"Why not?" Adam snorted, "Lighting powers and a healing factor. Anything else?"

From where once was the access to the roof, growling zombies started to appear in big numbers and surrender the Lighting Queen. The pair took a couple of steps back. Soon, almost the whole roof was filled to the brim with zombies. Those who couldn't fit were in the staircase. They were growling threateningly to the pair.

"Son of a bitch…" Adam knew that they needed to retreat. The Herrscher was dangerous enough, but now with the support from the zombie horde, Kiana and Adam were zombie food if they tried to fight the envoy in such overwhelming conditions.

"Kiana. We need to leave." The growls from the zombies started to get louder. Some started to tremble in their places, almost as if they were anxious to attack them.

"What about her?" She motioned with her gun to the Lighting Queen. Adam shook his head. He spotted something among a pile of debris a couple of feet away. His eyes widened at seeing his backpack that somehow miraculously survived the blast. He walked slowly towards it while saving his last gun and sheathing Omen. He didn't bother to pick up the other gun. His step looked relaxed, but Adam was ready to jump back in any second. Adam took it and went back to Kiana.

Without taking his eyes off of the horde in front of him, Adam moved the zipper and put his hand inside. He moved it around. Adam grabbed his documents and the letter. He saved them inside his pants pockets. The zombies started to shake in anticipation to move. The Herrscher lifted her hand and the zombies went still. Their legs were tense and their hands were shaking, eager to obey their master command.

"A-Adam. Whatever you are thinking," a zombie howled, "make it fast." The zombies started to go wild. Adam put his hand inside again. After a few seconds, he finally grabbed the item he was searching for. "Kiana. Just to be sure. Are you a Valkyrie in training?" He wanted to be sure that was the case, or else, his plan might hurt Kiana gravely if not kill her.

"H-huh? Yes. But why are you-" Adam interrupted her. "At my signal, jump with me off of the roof." The Herrscher accommodated her fingers to snap them. Adam introduced his other hand inside the back-pack, not letting it fall to reveal its contents.

"Hey!" He shouted at the Herrscher. She lowered her arm a bit.

"What is it human?"

"You know. Humans tend to give gifts on the birthday of someone. So…" Adam gave her a eat shit grin. She didn't like it.

"I thought that it will be pretty impolite from us to not give you something because today is your birthday, right?" Adam put away the pin of the item hidden in the back-pack.

"If you are going to beg for your life save it." She was about to snap her fingers when Adam threw upside the item between them. Using her enhanced senses, the Herrscher saw with great clarity the object Adam just throw. It was a cylindrical object, slightly larger than a fist. Based on the memories of its host, the Herrscher almost instantly recognized the object.

It was a grenade. To be more precise, a high explosive grenade.

"YOU!"

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

Adam turned on his feet, followed by Kiana, and ran toward the edge roof. The angered Herrscher snapped her fingers. The zombie horde howled and lunged at the two runaways. But it was too late. Adam and Kiana barely jumped off the roof when the grenade detonated. The explosion blasted the roof apart. A fire wave enveloped the zombies along the Lighting Ruler. A great part of the horde perished being blasted to pieces or scorched in the raging inferno on the roof.

Kiana and Adam fell to the grass next to the gymnasium with a great thud. The two walked away to see more clearly the destruction the move Adam just pulled and to avoid the falling debris.

"What the hell was that?!" Kiana screamed pointing with her gun at the now destroyed gymnasium roof.

"That was a gift for my last birthday," Adam commented amazed. Many corpses were falling moving clumsily their limbs. He wasn't preoccupied with the rest of them. He was sure that they perished with the fire the grenade released.

"_As soon as I see Siegfried again, I'm going to have him to tell me who the hell made these things. They are awesome!"  
_

Adam went to check his pouches. He counted that there were still three magazines in them. He sighed in content at seeing that Gungnir and Omen were still with him.

Kiana checked her pouches as well and clicked her tongue in annoyance. She only had left two magazines with her. During the beginning of the outbreak, she lost a set of magazine pouches and another gun when she was shooting her way out of her class building.

Adam saw her fuming.

"What's wrong?"

"I just realized that I only have left two magazines before I'm out."

Thinking for a few seconds, Adam sighed and unfastened his magazine pouches. He also took off his other gun. Kiana raised an eyebrow at this. He approached her and presented her with his stuff.

"Here. Take it."

Kiana was surprised at this. Adam, a guy that barely knew her since yesterday was giving her his weapons which were vital to survive in the kind of situation they were stuck in.

"Why are you giving me this? Won't it be problematic for you to give me your pistol?" Her questions were pretty valid. In a way, he wasn't obliged to help her, much less give her his stuff. Adam unsheathed Omen but didn't summon the blade. She still had questions about why he carried weapons with him, especially about the blade he used to hurt the Herrscher and the explosive grenade because who the hell give grenades for presents?! She noted that there was another sword-handle kept in one of his sheathes.

"It would be troublesome to find a way out of here alone," he shrugged. "Besides, I will be a complete asshole if I leave a pretty girl behind," but in reality, he was thinking something else.

"_Siegfried will never forgive me if I left her daughter behind in a city filled to the brim with zombies and a fucking Herrscher."_ Adam smiled a little at Kiana's surprised expression and at the little pink on her cheeks. _"Also, I owe it to the old man."_

"A-are you flirting with me?!"

"No. I'm being honest here," he raised his arms in a placating gesture. "But if that made you mad, I'm sorry." He apologized.

"It's alright. And thank you." She was grateful. She took the equipment off from his hands and started to put it on. She did it with practice easy. While doing this, Adam noted that the first sun rays started to rise in the distance. Adam heard some grows in the background, but he didn't mind them. They just escaped a pretty dangerous situation, and with a Herrscher no less, so it was kind right to enjoy this little moment of peace. Just like Siegfried taught him.

"I am done," Adam was about to say something until a terrible shiver ran through his body.

A big explosion of electricity occurred in the building the two just escaped. A figure shot out from the raging inferno on the roof and landed gracefully a few meters away from them. Adam wanted to slap himself. It was too naïve for him to have thought that they got off the Herrscher with just a simple and highly modified grenade.

"YOU!" She screeched.

To say that she was mad was saying little. The Herrscher of Lighting was practically releasing powerful rays of her destructive power according to her sour mood. The grass where she landed incinerated, leaving an ugly black mark in the once healthy and greenly grass. If the school gardener was still alive, he would have cried in anguish at seeing this. The Lighting Lawman looked that she had seen better days. To be more specific her school uniform was burnt in many different parts. Adam was sure that if she was still a normal human girl, she would have screamed in anguish at the state of her attire and how much skin it exposed. The many burnt marks on her body started to disappear, leaving behind pristine and healthy skin.

"Not only have you dared to stain my body with that vulgar weapon of yours," she was pointing with her left hand to Omen, "but you also have the nerve to trick me with such simple method and burn away my attire to let you roam your disgusting eyes all over my body!" She finished clenching her fist in rage. Kiana stared at the Lawman in astonishment while Adam just deadpanned at her.

"Okay. No. Time out!" He raised his arms and make a pause gesture. "You are saying that I used that grenade so I could see you fucking naked?!" Adam's left eye twitched. He really couldn't understand her reasoning, because, come on, the idea of using a damn explosive to see a naked girl was truly ridiculous!

"And now you have the nerve to feign ignorance", a part of her uniform fell apart, exposing a generous view of her midsection and left thigh. At the half of it, there was a sigil glowing with power. It was purple, the same color her rays showed. She tried to cover her exposed skin with her right arm, but her efforts ended in vain. There was a big blush on her face that in other circumstances Adam would have found cute. Kiana turned to Adam with her raised eyebrows, her face expressed shock.

"I-is that true, Adam?!"

"W-what?" he was bewildered at Kiana's question. "Of course not!"

"You said that grenade was a birthday present," she paused for a moment in thought before she reached a conclusion, "it's one of those strange gifts among men so they could peep at girls!

"Whose side are you on?!"

"All women are on one side when it's about perverts!"

"I agree with the mongrel."

"Are we really having this conversation?" Adam muttered while massaging his forehead. He looked at the envoy, "Just for the record and to make it clear, I was actually trying to kill you." He said with an exasperated voice. Adam dropped his hand and entered a fighting stance with both hands on his sword. "Drink." Omen obeyed and started to suck away his blood.

"_Not use to play it safe with a Herrscher pissed off at me."_ He thought gravely. He may not have wanted to use his powers in front of Kiana but given the situation, it couldn't be helped. He decided to use his powers as a last resource in case he got cornered. The surprise factor could be his lifesaver.

Adam summoned the blade, the length got larger and now emitted a sickening red glow to the eyes of the other two women. At viewing this, the Herrscher raised her arms in a threatening gesture. She was creating concentrated rays of electricity in her hands until suddenly, she flinched and took a couple of steps back.

"Nngghh…!" She grunted. The electricity in her hands disappeared and started to claw her head in pain.

"N-no! Y-you won't take b-back this body- F-father?!" She gasped. The arrogance in her tone was replaced by shyness and fear.

Kiana and Adam were perplexed at the sudden change in her voice.

"F-father? Why did-you -Stop resisting!" She screamed as she fell to her knees and grabbed her head in pain. "Y-you are supposed to be dreaming p-pathetic girl."

Knowing that she was vulnerable, Adam flexed his legs and was about to lunge at the Lawman until Kiana stop him putting a strong grip on his left shoulder using her right hand.

"What are you doing?" Adam raised an eyebrow at Kiana's question. "What I just said. I'm going to kill her." He stated with a calm voice. He didn't find it wrong to take advantage of the current state of the Herrscher. Kiana's eyes widen at how Adam simply stated that he was about to kill.

"Be quiet pathetic excuse of!- No! I don't want to die! Father! Someone! Please!" The Herrscher, or rather the host, started to scream in panic while tears started to form in the corner of her eyes. Kiana found the sight sour while Adam looked at the now crying girl with a neutral expression.

"Don't you see that?! She is still fighting the Herrscher! You can't just say that it's fine to kill her." She turned to look at Adam with a serious expression.

"Kiana," He didn't take his eyes off the walling girl. "Not too long ago she just tried to kill us. And I'm betting that it won't be too long before the host mind succumbs to the Herrscher's will and make sure that it stays in control. Permanently." Adam stated with a grave voice. "And I think she would rather die as a free human and not being the puppet from the Will of God." Adam's voice was laced with acid in the last part.

"No," Kiana shook her head, "my family, the Kaslanas, we exist to protect and to save the innocent, she," she turned to see the girl before turning back to Adam, "she is an innocent in all this. I will not allow you to kill an innocent just because she's is the Lawman's vessel!" She said it with great resolution.

Adam tried to take a step forward but Kiana didn't allow him. Her grip on his shoulder tightened. Both looked into each other's eyes. None of them was willing to relent. They both knew that it was a matter of time before the situation escalated into a fight between the two, one that Adam wasn't willing to take if that meant to hurt his mentor's daughter. The atmosphere was tense. The distant howls from zombies and the girl's cries weren't making things easier. Bot warriors tensed their bodies, ready to act as soon as the other made the first move.

The atmosphere changed at what the girl screamed.

"M-Mei. M-my name is Mei! I'm Mei Raiden, "the now identified girl, Mei Raiden, started to repeat her name like a broken record. "I am Mei Raiden. I'm Mei. I am Mei. I am Mei. I am Mei. I am Mei. I am Mei. I am Mei." She continued until she ran out of breath and fell on her hands on the soft grass.

The two warriors at stalemate were surprised at the sudden change of events.

"I am Mei. I am Mei. I am Mei. I am…please…help…me…" She begged while looking at the two. Her eyes showed pain and great fear.

It was a bitter sight.

Adam felt that Kiana released his shoulder. She took a pair of steps towards the now crying girl. Despite the previous show, Adam was about to take his chance and kill the Honkai envoy until the words that left Mei's mouth froze him down.

"N-no. Don't take m-my memories. I need them!"

"_N-no. Don't take m-my memories. I need them!" A powerful storm surrounded him. White and Black. Darkness and Light. Golden and Red. Night and Dawn. All of it mixing and slamming, tearing themselves apart and repeating the process again._

"_W-what the fuck!" _He screamed internally.

Adam put a hand on his head trying to relieve the growing drumming inside his skull. A feeling of vertigo hit him. He almost tripped if it wasn't for the long blade of Omen that he used as a crutch. _"Think of a frozen forest. The frozen forest. I am in a frozen forest."_

While Adam was trying to get in order his thoughts, Kiana was slowly taking steps towards Mei who continued to babble. Kiana could barely understand what Mei was saying. Something about her father, betrayal and that it wasn't her fault. Kiana reached her and knelt on one leg. She slowly brought her arm to Mei's head. When she touched her, Mei stiffened and stop speaking.

"Don't worry," Kiana moved her hand through her hair in soft motions, "Everything is going to be fine." The tensed shoulders of Mei dropped as she continued crying. _"Mmm, her hair is so soft…"_ Kiana thought. Mei's cries started to get softer. Kiana stopped to move her hand but didn't take off her from Mei's head.

"H-how are you so sure?" Mei asked her. She was still facing the ground. "Father, he, they blamed him for everything that happened," she started to tremble, "but it wasn't his fault!" She screamed. "He would never commit the crimes he was accused of!" She gripped her fists on the grass. She didn't bat an eye when her hands got dirt.

"Your father?" Asked Kiana gently. She knew she was walking on thin ice, one mistake and they would have the Herrscher back. "What happened to him?" Mei whined, "They arrested him and threw him in prison. H-he, he told me that everything was going to be fine. But it was not!" She started to tremble in anger. "He, they left me alone!" Quickly, Kiana asked her, "b-but you surely had your friends with you?" Mei laughed dryly. "Didn't you heard what I just said?"

Hearing Mei, Kiana started to remember that some months ago, a girl in the academy who was a known Idol for her beauty, intelligence, and gentle personality, was facing harassment by classmates, ill-whispers from the teachers and isolation from her previously friends. Kiana heard about the rumors surrounding the Idol, but she found them in distaste. During those months, she was concentrated on passing exams, training in her free time and trying to survive with the little salary she gained from her part-time job.

"No matter how much I tried to convince people that my family was innocent, they just pointed their fingers at me and labeled me like a criminal!" She was trembling in rage. "Mei?" Kiana took her hand off Mei's head, "Mei, do you hear me?"

"I hate them, I hate all them," slowly, she raised on her legs again. Her breath was accelerating, "I hate all of them and I-," the fear and sadness in her eyes was replaced for angriness and assertiveness, "I hate this world!" Mei released a powerful Honkai energy wave from her body. Kiana was knocked back at the displayed force. In a great dexterity display, Kiana quickly recovered, using her arms and pushed off the ground, jumping back. Despite this, Mei, or rather the Herrscher, snarled in anger and throw an electricity bolt to Kiana, who was still in mid-motion.

"KIANA!"

Ignoring the pressure inside his head, he saved Omen inside its sheath and rushed to her.

Everything went in slow motion. Kiana saw how slowly the envoy's attack was making its way to her, directly at her midsection. Adam felt the pressure in each step he was taking towards her. He knew that he didn't have any second to deploy Gungnir's shield in time. There was only one option. _"Fuck it!"_ He swore. Red tendrils formed on his legs, gaining a sudden boost in speed. Snow-white skin appeared on his skin along with the red veins. He jumped and caught Kiana in mid-air. In a swift motion, Adam put his right arm in front of him, putting as much concentration he could muster, and an ample stack of red tendrils merged at his arm and shifted, forming a crimson shield big enough to cover them both.

"_This is going to hurt!"_ He thought.

Adam grunted in pain as he felt how his nerves were slowly melting and his elbow protesting when the electricity bolt smashed on his shield-arm. He ignored the disbelieving look on Kiana's face as they were shoved back many feet away from the Herrscher. This showed how much power did that blow have and could have obliterated Kiana on the spot.

The Lighting Queen showed surprise on her face for a second before she replaced it with a cold expression.

"It seems that you have more tricks under your sleeve, cheater." She chided.

Adam undid the shield and hugged her with his other arm while they side-rolled on the ground, until they, or to be specific, Adam crashed on the wall from a cabin that was used to store tools to maintain the football field that was next to the gymnasium. Adam heard something crack on his back, but he didn't mind it too much, his priority was the well-being of the girl he just saved from certain death.

"Damn it," he hissed as the bones of his back cracked in protest while he settled straight and rested his back against the wall. He turned his gaze to the Herrscher who was slowly walking towards them.

"Go to Nazagora City, he said. It would be good for you, he said. You will have a good time before you go to the academy, he said. There would be a damn zombie outbreak and a fucking Herrscher, he didn't say!" Adam screamed pissed off, startling Kiana a little at his ghostly appearance.

"A-Adam?" She couldn't believe what just happened. He toned down a bit off his anger.

"Oh, yes. Hey," he turned his eyes to her, "are you okay? She really packs a painful punch," he asked with concern. Kiana blinked a couple of times before she slowly nodded.

"Good, then, if you don't mind, could you please get off of me?" Kiana quickly stood up from his embrace. Adam followed after a couple of seconds. His back made an audible *_pop* _as he got on his feet. Kiana worried at hearing this. She was about to ask him if he was right until he saw the state of his right arm

"Adam!"

"What?"

"Y-your arm!" She pointed with her left hand to Adam's right arm. He turned his eyes to it. It was completely black, like it was carbonized, and twisted in the wrong way.

"Serves you well, maggot," the Queen said coldly.

"Now this is just great." He said sarcastically. Not only had he exposed himself to other people before reaching Siegfried's contact, but also now he had to deal with a Herrscher's bitchy attitude and help his mentor's daughter. If he had known this was coming, he would have dragged Siegfried after they got off the plane to help him. Adam moved his gaze to Mei with an even expression.

"_If she wants to play hard, so be it."_

Moments before, he was ready to cut the Herrscher's head off. But after her episode (also his), he decided that maybe Kiana was right. Perhaps, Mei was still savable from the Herrscher, but he needed to make sure of something. He wanted to know that saving Mei from God's Will was actually possible. After all, he needed to be alive to complete his mission and fulfill his promise to his late family.

"Hey Mei, you still there?" He called to the Honkai envoy.

"Don't talk to me like I'm that pathetic girl". She barked.

Adam scoffed in response but ignored her, "If you are still there, give us a signal. It could be really helpful because Kiana and I are going to risk our heads to save you without killing you. Well, your body, that is."

The Queen raised one eyebrow while doing a mocking face and crossing her arms over her chest, "you are really out of your mind if you think that she would -save me? - come out…" Her eyes widened in surprise at the little interruption in her speech.

"Good enough for me." Adam raised his burnt arm, not minding the sick face Kiana was making at how some burnt pieces fell to the ground.

"_I'm not going to kill you, but this going to hurt you, bitch." _The girls didn't like the sinister smile that formed on Adam's face at thinking this.

"Enlighten me, worm, how are you going to 'save' this pathetic little girl without killing me?" She smirked.

"Oh, its' quite easy, really," red tendrils surrounded both of his arms. The pain in his right shifted for a cold sensation that wasn't unwelcome. The tendrils shifted and took the form of two crimson gauntlets with rough spikes on the knuckles. Kiana gaped at the transformation while the Lawman uncrossed her arms and raised them, summoning electricity. It danced on her arms, ready to be launched at any moment.

"Tell me, Kiana, are you ready to beat this Queen bitch and save that girl?!" Adam asked with excitement. Kiana closed her mouth and drew her two guns. She also smiled, ready to fight.

"I was born ready!" She burst.

Three warriors were ready to fight each other. None paid attention to the background noises. The smell of burning, the feeling of facing great danger and the uncertainty of knowing if one was going to succeed, filled Adam with great emotion. The three saw a single paper sheet being devoured by the cinders. It was slowly making its way to the ground. In that instant, the three agree tacitly that this was the mark to launch.

Seconds before the sheet touched the floor, Adam had a last thought.

"_When I saw the old man again, I'm going to kick his teeth!"_

* * *

_Meanwhile, in Sydney, Australia…_

"Here is your breakfast, sir!" A cute waitress put a plate filled with a sandwich and a cup of coffee.

"Thank you." Siegfried thanked the waitress, giving her a flirty wink. She giggled and left to attend the other customers in the cheap coffee shop. Siegfried started to eat his meal while looking at the TV in the corner of the shop, seeing the news.

There was coverage about the disappearance of people in the south of America until it was cut by another notice.

"We interrupt this news to inform about the situation in the Far East. We have just been informed that the city of Nagazora, which was isolated immediately after several disturbances took place early yesterday morning, today has been confirmed by the UN that the reason for isolation is due to a massive outbreak of the BH virus in the city. Flights to this city have been canceled and…" The people were gasping in horror at the events happening in the Far East.

While some people were losing their heads, Siegfried winced as he chewed his meal.

"_Adam is going to kick me in the teeth."_


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** Honkai Impact 3rd doesn't belong to me. This is just a project of my own for the fun and stuff.

Also, thanks for the ones who left a review.

* * *

"Hey, dad, do you not mind if I go to Erica's place while you are chatting?"

Richard Miller, a brown-haired middle-aged man, nodded to his daughter while taking a sip from his morning coffee.

"Thanks, dad! By the way, try to not bore him to death with your tales." She said while leaving the kitchen.

"Don't' worry girl," Richard's guest said while giving a short chuckle. "Your old man had tried before and failed!" Richard's daughter's laugh could be heard from the main door as it got close.

The guest took his cup and resumed to drink its content.

"While my daughter finds amusing the fact that you joke around with my profession, I do not." The guest shrugged while drinking. He put down his cup and turned to see Richard.

"Come on man, learn how to take a joke."

"The last time I _took_ the joke from someone, I almost died. Twice."

The guest raised his hands in surrender. The guest tried to not look at the eye patch on the left side of Richard's head and the missing right leg of his side.

"Almost Richard, but at least-"

"Siegfried," Richard interrupted him. "Tell me what do you want?"

"Well, would you believe me if I said that it was for old time's sake?" Siegfried slurred while he scratched the back of his neck.

"Siegfried…!" Richard yelled with restrained anger in his voice. He was about to take the cane at his side when his arm stopped abruptly. He started to pant in urgency. Siegfried immediately rushed at his side. He put his hand on Richard's shoulder.

"Richard! Where are your pills?!" Siegfried asked worriedly. He answered in a lethargic tone. "Cupboard…left door…two pills…"

Siegfried quickly went for them. He came back with the two pills and a glass of water. Richard took them hastily. Siegfried stayed at his side, waiting for his old friend to get a hold of himself. After some seconds, that felt like minutes, Richard's breathing calmed down.

"Are you all right, Richard?" Siegfried asked awkwardly worried his friend.

Richard nodded slowly as he leaned heavily on the kitchen table. The movement of his body was somewhat awkward. Siegfried didn't know what to say in this kind of situation. The last time he saw Richard having an attack was in the company of his wife, who knew how to cope with the situation while he remained silent watching from a distance with a pair of binoculars.

"Siegfried, honestly, tell me, why did you come to see me?" Richard asked lethargically.

Siegfried moved his hand to one of the pockets of his coat. He took out a cell phone. He opened the photo gallery and selected a particular album.

"For several reasons, I could not send you these photos. Seeing that I was passing through the area, I decided to come to show you." Siegfried handed Richard the cell phone. He zoomed in to take a closer look at the photos.

"This type of typography seems a mixture between Sumerian and ancient Chinese." Richard shifted image after image until he saw all the photos.

"Although these images intrigue me, I imagine that you not only visited me to show them to me, after all, this time just because." Richard left the cell phone on the table while looking seriously at Siegfried, who had a stoic expression on his face.

"Richard, I need you-"

"You have big balls to ask me something after the shit you made me go through." Richard's tone was dangerous. Siegfried's stoic mask was replaced by a face of sorrow.

"I…"

"I almost didn't survive with the number of fractures I had in my entire body," Richard's tone began to rise. "I lost my left eye and my right leg because of your damn stubbornness. I can't afford some mechanical prosthesis because my nerves at the end are completely burned," Richard clenched his knuckles until they were completely white.

"I can't dance with my wife or carry my daughter like I used to, I wake up twice a month with grotesque nightmares and I have to take damn pills every time my pressure goes up. I am only 40 years old Siegfried, but I have the health of a 70-year-old man!"

Tears began to sprout from Richard's eye. He brought his hands to his face, cleaning the salt drops. Siegfried moved his gaze to the floor in shame. Neither said anything. It was a solemn silence. A primitive part of Siegfried wanted to defend himself and argue that Richard knew the risks and consequences. But he could not deny that his friend had supported him even against all odds and danger.

When Richard had left the operating room alive, Siegfried immediately left the hospital and made sure he never had contact with Richard again. He had tried to convince himself for many nights that it was for Richard's safety, but not even several drunken nights would hide the fact that he had decided to flee because of shame and cowardice, he could not face his old friend again without feeling like a piece of shit.

After what seemed like an eternity, Richard spoke again.

"I will help you this and last time, Siegfried." He looked up in surprise. Honestly, he expected Richard to refuse. In the best scenario, Richard might send him to a colleague of his to fulfill his request.

"After this, I don't want to hear from you again. If I find out that you are approaching my wife or daughter, I will contact the Schicksal to take your sad ass out of my sight." His gaze was inquiring. "Understood?" Richard barked as he raised his left arm. He showed his hand to Siegfried.

"Understood," Siegfried responded by giving Richard a sad smile as he shook his hand.

"_It's what you at least deserve after the shit I made you go through those years ago."_ Siegfried thought resignedly as he had to say goodbye to an old and good friend.

Both men released their hands and Siegfried proceeded to make his request.

* * *

As soon as the sheet being devoured by the flames touched the ground, Adam and Kiana threw themselves at Mei (or the Herrscher), who quickly proceeded to throw lightning. Despite the damage suffered by the attack moments ago, Adam was able to easily evade the Herrscher attacks. Kiana demonstrated the same ease and great skill by jumping or crouching at the right time. Both began to close the distance. Adam waited for the opportune moment to approach by evading the shots, while Kiana kept her distance shooting at the Herrscher, who used her left wing to protect herself from the bullet safe.

"Stay still!" The Herrscher exclaimed angrily. Despite her efforts, she couldn't hit either of them. While the duo evaded the piercing attacks, Adam noticed that several of his attacks were beginning to fail by several meters, although this did not make them less lethal, as an innocent tree was split in two when one of the rays suffered. Using her frustration as a distraction, Adam went on the offensive.

"Well, here I go!" Quickly Adam closed the distance between the two. Surprised by this, the Herrscher tried to create and launch lightning bolts as soon as possible, but it was too late. Adam threw a punch in the direction of her stomach. Surprisingly, the Herrscher proved to have swift reflexes, blocking the blow with both arms in a clumsy way, even so, she managed to block his attack. Seeing this, Adam mobilized tendrils to his legs, creating crimson combat boots, and kicked her hard in the face.

Or, rather, he almost succeeded in kicking her, if not for the rapid movement of her wing that blocked the blow before making contact by a few millimeters. Adam felt an unpleasant sensation running down through his blocked leg and hand. Seeing Adam's position, Kiana pointed towards the Herrscher legs and shot. As soon as Adam heard the detonations, he jumped to the side. The bullets made contact, but to the displeasure of both, they bounced off the Herrscher. She only hissed in distaste.

"My turn." She said in a condescending tone.

Feeling a chill, instinctively, Adam and Kiana jumped back. This proved to be the right thing when the Herrscher used her wing and threw electric spheres in their direction. As soon as they touched the ground, the spheres exploded, creating holes three meters wide.

"Shit!" Adam cursed in surprise. Kiana said nothing, but she looked a little shaken to see the powerful attack a few moments ago. The two were grateful for their battle instincts. The Herrscher smiled.

The most advisable option would be to withdraw and plan a strategy to stop, if not to lose the Herrscher, but the circumstances were not in their favor. It would be a matter of time for the Herrscher power to grow, to find and pulverize them. She also had under her command an army of zombies and Honkai creatures. The worst-case scenario would be for Nagazora City to be swept from the face of the Earth if Schicksal decided that it was best for its interests. Siberia, or what was left of the region is proof of that.

In short, the situation was extremely screwed.

Without saying anything, Adam got up and leaned on his knees. Several tendrils gathered around his legs. The tendrils were trembling like gelatin. He lifted one leg, giving the impression that he was going to stride forward. When his leg touched the ground, it burst into shatters, throwing dust everywhere. The Herrscher raised her arms, hoping to block a direct attack. She didn't expect a powerful ax kick to come from above. The Herrscher felt Adam's heel break her left shoulder. There was a sound similar to static and that of an exploding focus. Adam jumped back to Kiana. The Herrscher fell on her knees, the pain barely bearable.

"Did you like that?" Adam spat with sarcasm. The Herrscher looked up. She refused to scream in pain, her pride prevented her. Her eyes were full of contempt and seemed to want to convey the most painful ways to kill him.

"Bastard!" She exploded angrily. Despite the pain inflicted, the Herrscher suddenly stood up and bolted at Adam, leaving a trail of furious rays behind her. He could barely raise his arms when a strong kick hit his left side, followed by a series of punches and kicks towards his torso and face. Despite the great speed, the impacts lacked the expected strength of a Herrscher, although this didn't make the experience less painful. The Herrscher ended her attack by giving one last kick in his stomach, throwing Adam several meters away.

"ADAM!" Kiana shouted.

Taking advantage of the last sequence, she saved the guns and ran to the Herrscher and began attacking her. Kiana kicked her in the abdomen, followed by a pair of kicks and shots. The Herrscher managed to recover and counterattacked with her wing, trying to slice Kiana in two. She just bent down, avoiding being cut by a hair. Using the movement of her wing, the Herrscher turned and kicked Kiana hard, throwing her meters behind.

"You are persistent to be-" the Honkai messenger was interrupted when she was thrown violently against a classroom building creating a hole on it, courtesy from a red blur. The pair heard how she broke furniture on the way.

Kiana stood up with a jump and turned to see Adam standing. His clothes were dirt after he rolled by the ground. She spotted some cuts and bruises on his face that started to heal quickly to her amazement.

"That bitch packs a nasty punch." Adam spat blood on the ground.

"Adam! Are you alright?"

He turned to her and nodded.

"Yeah. I feel like I have dozens of stings over my face, but nothing that would kill me." He opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, trying to recover the feeling on his mouth. After no feeling anything, Adam manifested little tendrils on the lower part of his face. The tendrils apparition and the partial whiteness on his face startled Kiana. The tendrils and whiteness retracted after some seconds.

"That's much better." He said while touching his jaw. He noted that Kiana kept staring at him like she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"What?" He asked with a deadpanned face. Kiana blinked a couple of times before she started to ask. "Where are those things coming from?! And how the hell did you summon that shield?!" She hollered in confusion.

Adam raised an eyebrow. "You are just asking me this, right now, when we have a Herrscher trying to kill us and after I saved your life?" Kind of late, don't' you think?" He commented.

"You have t-tentacles, just like those in that pervert-mangas!" She ignored him.

Adam's eyes got wide with such declaration. "That's what you are worried about?" He asked in disbelief. He was expecting this scenario. Ok, no. No this kind of scenario, but actual questions about his powers and why did he have weapons with him. Especially about Omen and the grenade.

"Y-you are thinking about u-using those tentacles to make lots of pervert things to me and her, don't you?!" She said in alarm while slowly motioning her gun towards him. He just kept looking at her, like he couldn't believe what he was hearing. It took a couple of seconds to Kiana's statement to sink in his mind. He scowled in distaste. He turned to see the hole where the Herrscher disappeared a few moments ago.

"Kiana, I hope you are just acting this way due to the pressure, because it is not funny," he chastised with a cutting voice. He didn't turn to see if she acknowledged what he saw. There was the sound of furniture moving coming from the building. He dodged a lightning bolt coming on his way, yet, he didn't take his eyes off the hole. From there, the Herrscher came out. She sported some bruises and cuts on her arms and legs. Like him, they started to heal at a quick speed.

"So, want round two?" Adam asked with a mock voice. The Herrscher answered with raising a hand. From it, sparkles appeared on it until it formed an electrical long blade.

Adam smirked. "Finally decided to take off the kid's gloves, bitch?" The Herrscher gritted her teeth in contempt.

While he could summon his claws and even use Omen, he decided that it wasn't the best course of action. He didn't want to kill Mei after all, so that left him with a less-lethal option.

He went to his harness and drew Gungnir in its first form. He gave her a bloody thirsty smirk.

The Herrscher was about to lunge at him when she started to spam and fell again to her knees. The blade disappeared and her wing started to glitch for a moment. She hugged herself, trying to stop the trembling on her body.

"N-no! I don't want to kill them!" Mei's soft voice took place before it was shoved back. "Shut up pathetic girl!" The Herrscher commanded. "You wanted this, did you forget that? Did you forget the loneliness we felt when your 'so-called friends' left you behind? The bitter taste in our mouth when they spoke in distaste behind our back?! The passivity with which you acted when they started to dilapidate our things and how you didn't raise your hand when they even started to call us a thirsty whore for money?!" At this point, Adam and Kiana were sure that the Herrscher was ignoring them in favor of discussing with Mei.

"You are weak, pathetic. You cannot even face the world because you lack the courage and determination to do what needs to be done. You are not even worthy of the term 'human'. Far from it, you are just sub-human. So now, do us a favor and sleep for eternity while I fulfill the task given to me, sub-human" Adam lost his smirk and Kiana scowled as they listened to the Herrscher berating Mei.

Mei's stopped moving. The Herrscher sighed in satisfaction. At least her host stopped moving. "N-no! I am strong. I am strong!" Mei's voice shouted again. "I didn't want everybody dead!" A few tears started to appear on her face. "I-I just wanted them to stop! I didn't want to k-kill everybody. I-It was you!" She accused. Despite the tears falling through her face, the Herrscher smirked.

"Oh? You are wrong, girl. I was-"

"Just a bitch."

The Herrscher and Kiana turned to see Adam. He kept looking at the Herrscher. She was upset at his interruption, but above all, she didn't like the look in his eyes.

It was like he was looking at something truly disgusting.

"No, sorry, I was wrong," he corrected himself. "You are not a bitch, you are worst. You are a parasite" He said while grimacing in disgust. The Herrscher made a perplexed face before frowning in fury. Rays of lighting started to manifest around her.

"What. Did. You. Call. Me?" She asked, barely containing her fury. His grimace disappeared as he gave her an innocent smile. It didn't' get along with his next words.

"A. Parasite. Do I have to spell it to you?"

Sharpened battle instincts made him deploy Gungnir's shield before he was pierced by the Herrscher electric punch, who teleported in front of him. The rays of electricity around her were hissing in ire. His smile was a little strained at the force he was countering, but he didn't stop smiling. "What's wrong? Angry that I'm telling the truth, parasite?" he dared.

"Don't call me that, worm!" she screamed in rage. She pushed him, trying to throw him, or at least tried. She would have succeeded if it weren't for the tendrils on Adam's legs and Gungnir endpoint, holding him to the ground, moving little by little.

"_Son of a bitch! This is tiring!" _He thought in irritation. Despite this, he was going to make his point. He gave her a strained chuckle.

"You Herrschers believe to be above everything. Seriously, it's like watching a bunch of idiots measuring their dicks." The Third Herrscher started to apply more pressure. "You can kill anybody with a simple snap of your fingers and burn cities to the ground without giving a shit." There was a tint of anger in his voice. Some tendrils set him on the ground, but even with them, he was being slowly dragged from his spot, leaving marks on the soil. "Despite you are a being who can bend laws of physic, you need a _'pathetic'_ human body to carry your damn ass like a mule." By now, he bent his knees and put pressure on the ground. More tendrils formed around his legs and arms, forming thick gauntlets and boots, augmenting the pushing force; reaching a stalemate in strength with the Herrscher. She was surprised by this.

With Kiana, she didn't know what Adam was planning. She decided to standby and look at what happened, ready to enter in action in the case he needed her. She was also paying close attention to Adam's words. She was surprised at the venom that started to leak in his voice as he spoke. He started to look menacing.

"The girl you are using as a vessel is a person who experienced the shit that comes after being surrounded by hypocrite people in her most time of vulnerability." His skin paled and his sclera turned black. "You Herrschers need vulnerable humans to possess if you want to cause mayhem in the world." He put both hands on Gungnir's handle and shield and applied force. Some of the red vines climbed up the spear and surrounded it. The barrier in Gungnir got stronger He smirked at seeing actual stress on her face when he was starting to push her back.

"You take pride in being the strongest when in reality you are the weakest if you can't overtake a person with a strong will and mind!" He growled as his voice started to distort. "You are weak. A **PATHETIC** **parasite** that nEEDs to **feed** on the heLPLEss. You cannot even **PREY** because you are too **WEAK**!"

The Herrscher roared in anger and was about to slice at him using her wing. Adam felt a slight change in her posture and decided to finish this. He smirked and loosened his standing. Due to the sudden loose of the pushing force, the Herrscher came directly at Adam. He grabbed her arm and kneeled her on the stomach. No giving her time, he released his hold, stepped aside and with Gungnir backhanded her at her side.

"Ahhhh!" She cried in pain as she went rolling on the ground and came to a stop near Kiana. The Herrscher tried to stand up, but she couldn't at the great pain in her ribs. She panted in stress while Kiana watched in surprise. The Herrscher struggled to get up again, barely standing in one leg. Adam walked towards her at slow pace. Almost as if it was on purpose.

"_**How fitting for a pathetic parasite**__," _he thought in dark amusement as he saw the Herrscher struggling to stand and breathe. He was sure that he cracked some of her ribs, making the experience painful. But there wasn't something as painful as a wounded pride after being bested by an opponent that you underestimated.

The red in his gear started to pulse a sick crimson_**"{It would be so easy to kill her right now}"**_The rasping voice said with a dark glee inside his head. Adam didn't see the growing preoccupation in Kiana's eyes. His sight was focused on the strained and hateful face of the Herrscher. _**"{We have a mission to fulfill. Humanity must survive. Remember that.}". **_The voice ordered.

"Y-Yeeess" Adam drawled.

A long and thick blade formed on his left arm. It had serrated teeth. The blade pulsed quickly, almost in eagerness to taste blood.

"_**{Do it}"**_

He was five steps from her.

"_**{Do it}"**_

Four

"_**{Do. It.}**_

Three.

"_**{D-o. I-t!}"**_

He raised the blade, ready to strike down his foe.

"_**{Do it! Do it! Doitdoitdoitdoittheirdespairwillbeourfeasttheyshouldbetheyshouldbe!}"**_

One.

"_**{Doitdoitdoitdoitmakethempaymakethempaymakeitpaymakeitpaymakeitpay!}**_

The blade-

_**BANG!**_

His mind barely registered the bullet impacting on his arm. He turned to face who interrupted him, but a strong roundhouse kick in the face made him tremble and trip back. He recovered his step with Gungnir before he could fell on the ground. The blade on his left went undone. He locked his gaze on Kiana, who now assumed a defensive posture in front of the Herrscher. The Honkai envoy was turning her sight between Adam and Kiana, trying to understand what the hell was happening.

"Adam," Kiana's voice gained a serious tone, "Step back. Now."

His facial expression was stoic. Not giving away the slowly rising anger directed towards her. He leaned, ready to pounce at her for daring to interrupt in his path to exterminate the Herrscher. Seeing this, Kiana pointed her guns and tensed her legs to move at any moment. He was about to launch when a terrible pain ran from the base of his nape to the forehead.

"AAAGH!" Adam screamed in pain. He felt as if his brain was being boiled inside his skull. The pain was strong enough for him to fell on his knees while he grabbed his head, letting Gungnir fell on the ground, deactivating the barrier and enter in its standby mode. The vines retracted back to Adam. The Herrscher slowly stood up. She kept her hand where Adam hit her. She could feel how they were being healed, but at a slow rate compared to her previous injuries.

"Human," she called Kiana. She took a couple of steps back, allowing her to keep Kiana and the worm screaming his head off incoherently on her line of sight.

"Why did you…why did you intervene?" Damn the day she would admit that she just received help from a puny human.

Kiana moved her eyes from Adam to her. She gave her a happy smile. For a moment, somewhere deep in her heart, the Herrscher found the smile…easy to the eyes.

"Because it's my oath as a Kaslana to defend the innocent and protect the weak." The Herrscher found the idea amusing, but with the sincerity and confidence she said it, the Herrscher decided to not comment on it.

"So you just intervened because the worm was about to kill this weak girl?" Kiana was sure she wasn't the brightest person, but even she couldn't miss the condescension on her tone.

"Nope!" Kiana empathized the 'p'. "I got in his way because we, well, I said that I will save you, Mei."

The Herrscher frowned at this. "She and her, we are not the same person, human."

Kiana shook her head. "You said that you _felt_ the same. To me, it means that both of you share the same body but with a different attitude." Kiana gained a curious expression. "I think there was something called multiple personalities or something like that." She brought her hand to her chin while thinking this.

The Herrscher blinked twice. _"Is she calling me a person with a dissociative identity disorder?"_ She shook her head. _"And is she exposing herself to me? I could kill her easily at distance" _Surprising to her, there was someone who answered her

"_Because she is nice…" _It was Mei.

"_Humans are treacherous creatures."_

"_But not her…" _Mei responded to her.

"_Then what about him!" _She motioned to Adam, who stopped screaming and grunted in pain still on the ground. Mei didn't say anything for a few seconds.

"_To be honest, we tried to kill them first…"_

The Herrscher was about to say something else, but again, she was interrupted.

"Y-you know…" it was Adam, who seemed to finally get a hold of himself. The Herrscher narrowed her eyes and Kiana relaxed her stance a little. "T-that trusty attitude of yours," Adam got up and rested his hands on his knees while panting a little. "R-really comes from your old man." Adam wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. He looked exhausted. He picked up Gungnir and saved it. Before he could catch his breath, Kiana was over him, holding him from his shoulders while shaking him from back to front.

"How do you know the stupid old man?!" She incremented her force on her holding. "Do you know where is he now? How do you know him and where the hell is he?!" She roared her last question.

"_Well, shit_,"yapped mentally Adam. He sighed. _"At least she turned away from the Herrscher." _He was curious as to why the Herrscher didn't strike Kiana when she got the chance.

"_And what the fuck just happened? I rarely lost control and I almost tried to attack Kiana." _It was worrying to him. He knew that when he overused his powers, he would eventually start to lose control over his mind, but to have two painful headaches in a row and give in to the sinister voice…

"_It has something to do with the output Honkai energy from the Herrscher?"_ He was starting to feel dizzy from Kiana's shaking. _"I will call Hestia once I am out of this place." _He decided. Adam grabbed Kiana's hands and got them off him.

"Yeah. I know your old man," she was about to say something else but he beat it to her. "And I would like to answer your questions, but I believe this is not the time."

Kiana narrowed her eyes. "Like hell this is not the time. You are going to answer to me. Right now!" She disagreed.

"Are you forgetting that we have a Herrscher situation behind you?" He asked rhetorically. She widened her eyes and turned around to look at the person he was referring to. The Herrscher was standing on her legs. Like him, she looked exhausted. She kept a hand on her ribs. While the damage was fixed, the phantom pain lingered a bit.

"Oh crap. You are right." Kiana realized. "But after we get out of this, you will tell me about the old man." For a moment Adam could swear that her right eye was a sick yellow. "Everything."

Adam just sighed in resignation. _"Better him than me."_ Then he took note of something.

"Hey, Herrscher, tell me, why you didn't attack Kiana when you got the chance?" It was a pretty valid question. Kiana was pretty much exposed to the mercy of the Herrscher and she didn't attack her.

She looked offended. "I don't find honorable to strike down an enemy when they have their backs exposed to me or when they are not in the condition to fight. Unlike you." She spat the last part.

Adam would have laughed if he had the energy for it. _"A Herrscher talking about honor and respect these days. How odd."_ He also would have called off her bluffing. Technically, she tried to kill them first when they were on the roof when they thought that she was just a catatonic girl from the situation she found herself in but decided against to say nothing. As she said, both were exhausted. It should be added that Adam didn't want to push himself too much with his powers given his instability.

"_If it was just me and her, I wouldn't mind letting loose. But Kiana is here and I don't want to explain to Siegfried that I killed his daughter." _The last part gave him a sour taste.

The Herrscher raised both arms. There was an option that normally Siegfried would use when the two (mainly him), got in deep shit.

Talk your way out and compromise (gamble).

"Hey, how about we make a deal?" Adam proposed wearily. Kiana and the Herrscher widened their eyes on response.

The Herrscher kept staring at him for a long moment. "What are you talking about?" She asked reluctantly.

Adam grinned mentally. "As you can see, both of us are pretty much worn down from our previous…dispute."

Sparks started to appear on her arms. He quickly added. "You say that you didn't find honorable to kill Kiana when she had her back to you. So…" Now came the difficult question. "How about we postpone this until both of us are at top form?"

The Herrscher raised an eyebrow. "You really lost your mind with that headache," she said in an incredulous tone, although the sparks on her arms disappeared. Adam was at ease. She was interested in his proposal.

"Tell me worm, why I should accept?" She inquired while raising a hand and creating a ball of electricity. "I am also sure that you can continue fighting," she collapsed the ball.

"_Yeah, but I would lose my mind and I could kill Kiana for mistake!"_ He thought exasperated. "True, but she," he motioned with his head to Kiana. "She wouldn't allow it." The Herrscher looked at her and then to Adam. Meanwhile, Kiana pouted and frowned at him.

"You say it as if it was a bad thing!" He ignored her. He really needed to pull this off.

"Look, we could do it your way. We fight, destroy half of the city in the process and one of us would kill the other. Fine by me, but take note that Kiana would get involved and killed." Kiana widened her eyes. "Considering that **she** saved your life, that's a low way to pay someone else back, even for someone like me."

The Herrscher wanted to disintegrate him until only his memory remained when he mentioned 'saved', but he had a good point. It would be in bad taste to kill the girl that _helped_ her. She was an envoy of the will of the Honkai. Someone above the concepts of ungratefulness and deceive.

Fine, she would spare the girl's life, _just this time_. If she came looking for a fight in the future and ended her life in the process, so be it.

"Assuming that I accept your proposition, how I can be sure that you will keep your word?"

"_I may be above the concepts of deceit, but not him, a human." _

At hearing this, Adam's fist pumped mentally. "I could say something like _you have my word_, but I'm sure that won't like you, right?" he inquired. The Herrscher nodded in response.

"_Well, time to compromise then." _Adam took his hand to grab Omen. Instantly, the Herrscher raised her arms to battle. "Wait! I'm going to take my sword out, slowly, and drew the blade. There is a reason." He waited for her approval. She kept her arms lifted for a moment before retracting them. She didn't lower her guard at all, she kept an arm lifted, ready to strike in the case of.

As he said, Adam took Omen slowly and drew the blade. _"What are you thinking?" _She was starting to suspect that this was a trap.

Adam faked a cough to gain her attention. "I think that you can feel that there is something off about this blade." The Herrscher nodded. When his blade sliced her skin, there was a strange sensation, like shivers and cold fire on the blade. She couldn't shake the feeling that something felt _wrong_ about the blade.

"I don't know all the details, but Omen can do more things than just cut and kill stuff."

He moved the endpoint of Omen towards his left hand.

"I, Adam Alighieri, under the sharpness of the blade and the true in the blood, I swear that if I say a lie in the next three minutes, may the blade pierce my left hand and made a hole on it." Then Adam barely pinched his hand with the blade and set it on the ground. He walked some steps away from it, confusing the girls.

"Herrscher, ask what is the color of the sky and what surround us."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Just do it." Adam sighed in exasperation.

She frowned her lips in irritation but decided to concede. She sighed. "What color is the sky?"

"Blue."

"What time of the day is?"

"Morning."

"What's the color of the grass here?"

"Green."

"Do you have more weapons with you?"

"_Clever"._ He thought. "In a way, yes." He confirmed

"Who gave you those weapons?"

_"Playing around could fuck this off, better end this soon before I spill too much,"_ He thought seriously.

"Hestia. She is…someone important to me.

"Does she know where my dad is?" Suddenly Kiana got in. Adam tried to not show the panic on his face at the question.

"_Shit!"_ He cursed. "I think so. But she didn't' tell me where he went to."

"_Come on! Finish already!"_ Adam was getting anxious. This was backfiring at him in the worst possible way.

"Then, do you know how-" "Are you even human?"

Kiana and Adam were surprised at the Herrscher question. Although he got surprised at this, he wasn't going to waste this chance.

"I am human," barely finishing his sentence, he felt a powerful stab on his hand that made him fall to his knees. It didn't matter if he possessed a high pain tolerance, Omen's feedback was horribly painful.

"Son of a bitch!" He cursed while holding his bloody hand. Both females were surprised at the gaping wound on his hand bleeding profusely. Kiana went to Adam to check the wound while the Herrscher stood astonished. She was taking his _peculiar_ method as a charade, but seeing it with her eyes…

"As... you can... see..." Adam said between snarls. "I wasn't… bluffing…" Barely above a whisper, he said. "I accept the pain as my punishment and offer my blood as compensation for this offense." The wound slowly stopped bleeding, though the gaping hole was still on his hand.

"Freakish…" It's all Kiana said when she saw the sudden bleed stop. Adam didn't mind the words; his attention was centered on the Herrscher. He held the need to summon the tendrils to close the wound, the least he wanted was the hostility and distrust from the Herrscher.

He got up and went to grab Omen, while the Herrscher kept her stare on him. He grabbed it and walked closer to the Herrscher. He pointed down the end of the blade while leaning a bit the handle to her. "Do we have a deal, Herrscher?" She kept staring at him for what felt like hours until she grabbed the handle. Touching the weapon made her feel _wrong._

"Don't think for a moment that I will risk my life to hold the end of this deal." Her tone was serious. Adam shook his head. "I wasn't even to suggest that." Then, he had an idea. "How about something for the one who breaks this promise?" He asked.

The Herrscher raised an eyebrow. "What do you suggest?" She queried.

"A deep wound on the base of the waist and column?"

"Adam!" Screamed Kiana in astonishment. She wasn't the only one. "Have you lost your mind?!" She chided and dropped her hold. "That kind of wound is not a problem for you." She gritted her teeth. "I saw you heal your wounds at a great rate." Sparks started to form around her. "You were lying."

"While you also have great healing, and I can also get up from something like that, a wound caused by a broken promise hold by Omen means serious business." He motioned seriously with his eyes to his wound. "It would take me a great time to heal something caused by Omen. Giving you a handicap in case I decide to not hold the end of our bargain. And I'm being honest when I say I don't want something like that on my back." He offered the handle again. "So you do too."

The sparks disappeared. Kiana and Adam noted that her wing started to glitch. The Herrscher massaged her temple. She started to feel sleepy. "I can't believe I am agreeing with this." She took Omen's handle again. Flames of ire appeared in her eyes. "If you dare to hurt my vessel, I swear-"

"I won't/He won't," Adam and Kiana said at the same time. The two turned to see at each other before going back to the envoy.

"He won't. I will make sure of that. Promise." She said with a smile. He rolled his eyes. "What she said."

She looked at the pair sighing. "How do we do this?"

"Repeat after me." She nodded.

"I, Adam Alighieri…" "I, the Third Herrscher…"

"…under the sharpness of the blade and the true in the blood, I swear…" "…under the sharpness of the blade and the true in the blood, I swear…"

"…that I will not attack the Third Herrscher…" "…that I will not attack Adam Alighieri…"

"…until the two of us are ready to fight with all our might…" "…until the two of us are ready to fight with all our might…"

"…if not, may the blade pierce the middle of my lower back and made me seethe in pain…" "…if not, may the blade pierce the middle of my lower back and made me seethe in pain…"

As soon the two finished seeing this, they felt a sudden tremble running through their bodies. The red blade of Omen glowed and disappeared. Adam and the Herrscher fell on their bottoms tired.

"Don't you…dare to… die on me" She said in a quiet voice. "If anyone is going to kill you…" She looked at Adam, and briefly to Kiana before she fell on her back. "It's me…" Her conscience faded away.

"We will see…" Adam laid off while looking at the morning sky. He released a little chuckle. Then he started to laugh.

"Hahahahaha! Sweet son of a bitch!" He moved a hand to his eyes while he continued to laugh. He couldn't believe what he just did!

"I bargained with a fucking Herrscher! Hahaha!"

He was sure that he just made history. A shame that no one else, except for Kiana, was going to believe him.

"_I will rub this on Siegfried's face when I saw him again. Damn son of a bitch!"_

While laughing was natural in this situation, it started to freak Kiana.

"A-Adam? Are you alright?" She was starting to get concerned for him. He stopped laughing and looked at her. _"Shit. I still have to bullshit my way out if I don't want to comprise the mission"_ Slowly, he put his good hand on the ground and got up. He summoned some tendrils on his hurt hand. It will take a while for his hand to heal. He wasn't lying when he said that Omen was serious about promises. _"No pain, no gain."_ He thought.

"Yes. I am fine, Kiana." He assured with a nod.

Kiana was trying to comprehend what just happened moments ago. "A-alright." She looked towards the deactivated form of Omen. Adam followed her gaze. He picked it up and saved it in its sheet.

"Was it true what you said about fighting with all your might?" She questioned.

"Would you get on our way?" he challenged. "It's a promise between foes, you know."

"Of course! I say that I will save, Mei. I don't care if it's a promise between foes or whatever you say!"

Adam turned to see the fainted girl. _"I hope you don't."_ Kiana was about to add something else when the girl started to wake up.

"Mmm… Where… is this?" She said groggily while rubbing her eyes. Kiana beamed. "Mei!"

Mei Raiden, the host of the Third Herrscher, was hugged to the grounds by an enthusiastic Kiana.

"W-what, what is this?" Mei was trying to process was happening. Adam raised an eyebrow at seeing the overenthusiasm happiness from Kiana. He decided it was a Kaslana trait.

"Mei! It's really you. You came back!" Kiana grinned while continuing hugging her.

"K-Kiana?" She asked. Kiana nodded. "So you remember me, that's good!" Mei nodded. "Yes. I remember you and…" Mei paused and turned to see him. She showed a bit of distrust towards him.

"Given the circumstances, I won't hold it against you if I were in your place." He waved his hand. He gave her a little smile. "By the way, welcome to back to Earth, Mei Raiden." Mei nodded slowly.

"How did you? How did I get back?" She asked in concern. Adam sighed and released a short chuckle. "Hell if I know. Cunning and perhaps tons of luck worn out for a lifetime." Adam resisted the urge to take out a cigar from his pocket.

"If it's right that I wake up?" Her voice tone was unsure. Kiana stopped hugging her and gave her some space. Adam made a neutral face. "After all…the things I did to the others…to the people I killed… is it alright for me to live?" Mei made a depressed face as she said this.

"Of course it's alright!" Kiana piped while embracing her again with little more force in the hug. "It wasn't your fault! It was the Honkai that used you to kill all those persons. Mei, this isn't your fault." Kiana declared firmly "It was the Honkai who used you, just like it is using the people's body as cannon fodder."

"But I…it felt so addictive...I felt like nothing mattered anymore…all that power… all that anger…" Tears started to form in the corner of her eyes.

"Mei…" Kiana whispered in sympathy for her.

"Did you really wanted everybody dead?" Adam chimed in. Kiana turned and Mei raised her head to look at Adam. He had a neutral expression on his face, but there was a serious air around him.

"Tell me, Mei Raiden, did you, _you,_" he emphasized you. "Did you really wanted to kill everybody in this city after all the shit that happened to you? Did you wanted to turn everybody into a zombie just for the kicks and why not?" Mei flinched at hearing this while Kiana cringed.

"Did you wanted to unleash havoc because someone ordered you?"

"N-no! No! I never wanted any of this! I-" Mei moaned in sadness. "I just wanted the pain to stop." She started to cry. Adam growled to Adam at seeing Mei crying.

"Adam! Shut up! You are not making things better!" She complained. He wasn't fazed by Kiana's statement. "Then, Mei. This isn't your fault. Kiana just said that, and I just say that. But you have to convince yourself that this wasn't your fault." He didn't know what to say with delicacy.

"_Fuck it."_ Deciding that he deserved a little reward, Adam took the cigarettes pack and lighter out from his jacket pockets. He shook the pack and took one with his mouth. He saved the pack and light it up. He saved the lighter don't minding the incredulous stares from the girls at seeing him smoking.

_"We are in a zombie city and just survived a Herrscher, and you are surprised at seeing me smoking?"_ He scoffed mentally. He took deep puffs.

"Cheering you up is not my thing, Mei. That's Kiana's. But what I am trying to say is, you are not the one to blame. You were the ideal tool for the Honkai." Adam took the cigar out of his mouth and blew a cloud smoke to the side. "Given the shit that the Herrscher said, it was bound to happen that you blow up. After all, you are just human."

"B-but, I wanted to hurt them! All of them!" She cried.

"Being ostracized, deal with shitty rumors and even being called a whore," Adam snorted. "Honestly, I would have killed all of them in…peculiar ways." His eyes shined red for an instant. It unnerved the two girls for a moment He didn't mind their reaction at all. He took another couple of puffs from the cigar. "But that's my method, not yours. What I'm trying to say is that you were the ideal host for the Herrscher."

"Because I was weak." It wasn't a suggestion; it was a fact for Mei. Kiana rubbed her hand on Mei's back in a form of consolation.

"Yeah, you were weak. And before you say something, Kiana," he raised his hand when Kiana opened her mouth. "You were weak because you were slowly worn down. I can't imagine the shit you had been trough for so long."

"Almost for eight months," Mei commented. Adam was surprised at this. "How long ago since you heard the Herrscher's voice in your head?" He inquired. Her answer surprised him. "Two months ago, I think."

"Then, I commend you, Mei." She raised her eyebrows in curiosity. Kiana too. "The Herrscher manifests when the psyche of a person is at its lowest. And, since you have been harassed for eight months, that means that you dealt with the constant bullshit for six months before you were the ideal host for the Honkai."

"But why me? I wanted them to stop, but not like this." She gave a short sob.

Adam took a deep puff and exhaled. He took out the cigar from his mouth and turn it off by crushing it with his boot. "Hell if I know. I have met people with really shitty lives who moved on and others that gave up." He heard some grows in the distance. "But sitting here and question yourself the reason will get you nowhere." He sighed. "You are the host for the Third Herrscher? Sorry about that. Do you have powers that only happen in your dreams? Cool for you. You will have to deal with this shit. But there is a big difference between now and eight months ago." Adam offered his hand while smiling. "Hello, I am Adam Alighieri. Do you need help, Mei?"

The mentioned girl just looked at him for a long moment before her eyes started to water with long tears. Adam's smile strained a little. "I am sorry?" Mei smiled and shook her head. Kiana got off of Mei, allowing her to stand up with the help of Adam.

"That was pretty nice. A little rough, but still nice from you." Kiana commented.

"Everybody is a critic." He sassed while rolling his eyes.

Kiana showed her tongue and Mei gave a short chuckle while cleaning her face. Once she finished, she asked. "What now?"

"Well, now…" he started.

**Argh!**

The three turned around and saw that a big group of zombies started to form around them.

"Now we have to avoid being torn apart by these bastards." Adam groaned. "Shitting fantastic!"

"Can we beat them?" Mei asked with uncertainty.

"We can take them on!" Kiana crowed while preparing her guns.

The zombie group started to pile up. Seeing this, Adam concentrated and felt how the tendrils started to appear around his extremities. They were bulkier. There was a constant buzz ringing inside his head. He was near his limits before he could pass out and lost control over his powers.

"_I better move fast!"_ He picked up the two girls from their waists, ignoring their protests and blushes. He started to run towards the main gate while evading the walking corpses.

"_{You made the right choice!}" _Cheered the infant voice inside his head. _**"{Indeed. They smell and bodies felt so good}"**_Chuckled the sinister whisper.

"_Fuck off guys!"_ He groaned internally while running.

* * *

I hope that you enjoyed it, guys!

See ya!


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Honkai Impact doesn't belong to me, this is just a creative work just for the kicks and why not.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

_He couldn't feel, he couldn't see anything._

_"Listen only to the sound of my voice." The female voice was gentle._

"_Let your mind relax. Let your thoughts drift. Let the bad memories fade. Let peace be upon you." The voice whispered as he continued floating…in his mind. __He needed to keep__…_

"_Surrender yourself to your dreams. Let them wash over you like the gentle waves of the bluest ocean. Let them envelop you. Comfort you." What was he thinking again?_

"_Imagine somewhere calm. Imagine somewhere safe. Imagine yourself in a frozen forest." Ah, yes, he was in the frozen forest._

"_You're standing in a clearing. Trees around you so tall they touch the sky. Pure white snowflakes fall all around." But the voice, it sounded like Hestia's, although there was something new to it._

"_You can feel them melt on your skin. You are not cold. It cannot overcome the warmth of your beating heart." No, it wasn't Hestia's voice. The voice was soft like velvet and it carried affection, so much love…for him._

"_Can you hear it? You only have to listen. Can you hear it slowing?" It-it was from his sister…? #########_

"_You're slowing it. You are in control. Calm. At peace." N-No…##it####w-as### f#####r#####om…_

_###########################__**##**__**################################**__**##################################################**_

"_YOU ARE IN THE FROZEN FOREST…"_

_################!_

* * *

Adam shot open his eyes as he jumped up. In a swift motion, tendrils formed on his right arm forming a short blade as his left hand went to his back to draw a gun; only for it to stop when he noted that the gun wasn't on his back strap.

His muscles tensed in worry, trying to grasp the situation. His eyes darted from side to side. The sun shined in all its splendor in the sky. He noted that he was on a rooftop, a fence surrounded it. The access door to downstairs was blocked with boxes and chairs. At the distance, there were burning clouds rising.

"_W-what happened? Where am I?"_ Adam questioned. He felt a sudden ache inside his head. "Shit!" Adam grunted grabbing it. He turned his arm back to normal. As he did that, the pain reduced, leaving a numb sensation. He massaged his head. It proved to be efficient as the aching numbness slowly faded.

"Good morning!" It was Kiana, followed by Mei, who was wearing a new uniform similar to her previous one destroyed; coming from behind the rooftop access. Kiana had a cup of instant noodles in her hands, it was releasing steam from its top; while Mei had a water bottle in her hands. At seeing the two, Adam relaxed his stance.

"It's midday, Kiana-chan." Corrected Mei.

"Oh right," Kiana nodded to her. "So, how are you feeling?" Mei got closer to Adam and offered him the bottle of water. Adam nodded in gratitude as he opened it and took it to his lips. He didn't feel particularly thirsty, but once he took a gulp he didn't stop until the bottle was empty.

The girls widened a bit their eyes at his action. "Thirsty, I guess?" Kiana asked rhetorically.

Adam crushed the empty bottle as he answered. "A little." He turned to see again their surroundings. "So, where are we?" He asked.

Kiana made a surprise expression. "You don't remember what happened?" Adam shook his head.

"Well, to summarize, you dragged Mei-senpai and me from those losers, ran across some buildings and then you collapsed. Just like that." Kiana grabbed a bite from her food. "Kind of rude to leave us to do all the work here." She commented between bites.

"Kiana-chan, eat with your mouth closed." Mei scolded her lightly. "Ok!" Kiana answered again with food in her mouth. Mei sighed in resignation.

"What do you mean with _all the work_?" he puzzled.

"While you were unconscious, Kiana-chan and I went downstairs and explored the upper apartments of the complex for rations. We found some before the-the zombies started to pile up in the hallways." Mei answered. She barely trembled a little at saying the current state of the people previously living in the apartment complex.

Kiana nodded while munching.

"So, how long I was unconscious?"

Kiana continued eating while Mei counted with her fingers while making a thinking expression. "I guess that it has been almost five hours since then."

Adam was relieved at hearing this. _"Good. It would have been bad if I had been knocked out for the rest of the day."_ When Adam overused his powers during his travel with Siegfried, usually he will go wild and attack anything on his sight, followed by losing his conscience for one day to three days sleeping in a row. He was really glad that Siegfried dealt with him when it happened. He cringed a bit remembering the pain on his body and the mocking attitude from Siegfried.

"I see." She grabbed a snack bar from her skirt pocket and handed it to him. "Thanks." He opened the envelope and took a big bite. Taking note that she was clothed in a new set of attire, Adam stopped eating and put down the snack. "Mei, I, I, well," he sighed as the girls raised their brows in question.

"Sorry about your last uniform. You know, the grenade and the fire." He felt how his blood was coming to his cheeks despite his effort to suppress a faint blush. He wasn't the only one. Mei caught what he meant and blushed immediately, her face would have put a tomato in shame; Kiana chocked, dropping the soup container and its content all over the floor.

"W-What brought this up?!" Cried Mei in embarrassment while Kiana finally stopped her cough-fit.

"What the hell, Adam?!" Kiana blushed, not at the same level of Mei, but there was a big blush present on her face.

Seeing their reactions, Adam started to sweat. He tried to correct his mistake ASAP! "I-I just wanted to make it clear that what happened at the roof and what happened with your clothes wasn't on purpose!" Then he added. "S-Something I learned from Siegfried is that you have to make things clear with women when misunderstandings happen." It was true, but let's change 'misunderstandings' for the words 'ogling' and 'appreciating' when Siegfried's womanizer habits came to play while they were discussing details about their contracts with their employers.

"_Really, what's up with all the beauties and the deals with the underworld?"_ Adam added mentally while seeing Mei trying to get a hold of herself.

Kiana's blush disappeared and her attitude changed. "So he is still a womanizer, huh?" Kiana said under her breath, but Adam and Mei heard the cold bitterness in her voice. Adam winced. He now remembered that Kiana was searching for him. Siegfried didn't mention much about the circumstances that led him to defect Schicksal, but there was always a bitterness and ire inside his eyes during the months of November, December, and February. Adam didn't ask Siegfried about it for respect, but he knew that Siegfried sacrificed many things while running away from Schicksal. It seemed that Siegfried was a delicate topic for Kiana.

"Sorry." He apologized. He decided to change the topic. "By the way, Kiana, do you know if Schicksal is going to deploy Valkyries soon?"

Kiana raised her brows in confusion along with Mei. "Schicksal? Adam, what are you talking about?" Kiana asked. His eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, you don't know what Schicksal is?" Kiana shook her head. Mei kept staring Adam. "B-but you said that you were a Valkyrie in training?!" He raised his voice a little.

"Well, a Valkyrie is a person who fights against the Honkai to protect the people." She explained while crossing her arms under her bust. "The old man taught me that since I was a kid that we-the Kaslanas- fought to protect the innocent. Also, he didn't teach me all the gun-taka from the family." She added, "Does that make him a Valkyrie too?"

"_More like a drunk pervert knight and did Siegfried teach her that?" _He thought in confusion. During his journey, Adam heard first-hand that Siegfried didn't believe in idealism and babble about justice and sacrifice for the 'greater good'. 'Help when you can and do what you can', it could be summarized Siegfried's way of living to this phrase.

"Wait, he told you about the Valkyries but nothing about Schicksal?" Again, Kiana shook her head. _"And here I thought that she was with them."_

Adam leaned his head back and released a long resigned sigh. "We are truly on our own."

"_{At least you are not alone.}/ __**{Alone with two beautiful girls…}**__" _The voices inside his head commented.

"Shut up." He said above a whisper, yet Kiana heard him.

"Adam?"

"Nothing, just talking to myself." He said.

"_{It isn't good. It could be interpreted as a sign of dementia.}" _Commented the childish decided to ignore it.

"Hey," Adam and Kiana turned their heads to Mei. She still held a confused face. "Sorry, but would you can explain to me, what this is about Honkai, Valkyrie, and Schicksal?"

"Right," Adam remembered that the Honkai along with Schicksal were topics kept in secret. He started to recall the lessons imparted by Hestia during his recovery in Site Olympus. "In summary, the Honkai is a cyclical natural disaster phenomenon." He resumed eating the snack bar. He took a bite and swallowed before continuing. "It can come in the form of wars, diseases, climate disasters, comet impacts, and even the arrival of giant monsters." He took another bite. "Tell me, Mei, what happened during the 15 century that put in great danger Europe?" He continued chewing until he finished his meal.

Kiana raised a brow in surprise, but Mei knew right away the answer. "The Black Death." Her eyes widened. "But according to history, it was caused by the bad cleaning conditions and the mutation from a bacteria. It couldn't have been the- this Honkai." She disagreed. Adam nodded as he threw the wrap off. "In a way that's right, but how strange that it expanded so quickly despite the efforts to isolate it. The Black Death spread so speedily and almost simultaneously all over Europe. It didn't have a sole focus point like other diseases." He sighed.

"Also, Schicksal is not an organization that has been fighting the Honkai recently. It has been running for almost 500 years." The girls widened their eyes. "Schicksal has made sure that whatever is connected to the Honkai is kept under secret. The explosion in Berlin in 1952, the Siberian Disaster from 2000, attacks from strange Beasts; all of them are linked to the Honkai, and its main agents; the Herrschers." Mei gasped.

"And now, we are at the Third Impact," Adam noted their worry. "If it makes you feel better, actually we are very lucky that another Siberia hasn't happened." He gave a reassuring smile. It did little to soothe their preoccupation.

"_**{Yet.}" **_He couldn't help but agree with the voice inside his head. He really didn't want another Siberia to occur.

The girls looked worried. Well, Kiana not too much, after all, she has fought against the Honkai beasts since her childhood, although it still worried her that they were in the epicenter of all this catastrophe. But for Mei, it was terrible. Horror started to grow inside her eyes as her body trembled. Adam and Kiana noted it.

"Then…i-it is okay for me to remain alive?" She shuddered in rising panic.

"From what I got across, there was one Herrscher who rebelled against the Will of the Honkai and decided to aid humanity." He added. "In fact, he founded an organization-"

"_**{You are revealing too much information.}" **_The voice growled in scolding. He was right. Adam would rather play it safe until they escaped from the city.

"Although, he prefers to stay in the shadows." He finished.

"But, what happens if I lose control again, and-and the Herrscher come out?!" Mei shouted.

"Simple, we kick her ass and bring you back!" Kiana shouted with conviction. Mei turned her sight to her.

"It doesn't matter if you are a Herrscher. Mei remains to be Mei!" Kiana uncrossed her arms and put her hands on Mei's shoulders. She was surprised at the gesture.

"So, have faith that everything is going to be alright." Kiana hugged her. "Don't worry, Mei. I and Adam are going to help you." Kiana kept hugging Mei until she calmed down. The two separated. Mei had a few tears on her eyes. She cleaned them with her hands.

"Thank you, Kiana-chan."

"No problem!" She beamed.

The two smiled at each other. The wind made their hair flutter softly. Adam raised a brow. This reminded him of a romantic scene from a movie he saw months ago. Feeling awkward, he decided to break it in the best way he could think.

"At the third date, you may kiss her, and at the fifth, well, I leave it to your imagination, Kiana," Adam smirked.

The two turned to him. "Adam-kun!" Mei blushed while glaring at him. Kiana didn't see the problem.

"_Kun?"_ He thought at the suffix.

"Until the fifth?" Kiana added.

"KIANA!" She smirked despite Mei's protests. He held his laugh while Mei lectured Kiana about the proper steps to form a relationship. It was a strange scene given that the three were currently in a dead city with Honkai beasts and zombies moving around. He was used to banter with Siegfried in rudeness and dark humor. Occasionally one of the two will become the joke.

"_I will never forget when he escaped from that nymphomaniac using a newspaper for boxers!" _He smiled at the memory.

"…you only do those kinds of things until you are married." Mei finished lecturing Kiana. "It is in bad taste when you rush things in a relationship, Kiana."

"Two things; so, until the seventh date is third base and, do you say it from experience, Mei?" Adam challenged.

"ADAM-KUN!" Mei chided. Adam along with Kiana laughed at their heart's content.

"You two!" Mei fumed.

Adam tried to control his laugh. "Hahaha! Come on Mei, it is-shit!" Adam stopped as his head ached. He lowered his head with a hand on it. He felt cold washing over his face and chest. His breath started to accelerate and his skin turned deathly pale. He felt bile bubbling in his throat. Quickly, he turned around and leaned on the fence and threw his stomach contents.

**BLEGH!**

The girls looked worried at Adam. "Are you alright?" Mei asked. It would be a big problem if one of them suddenly got sick. She gasped in surprise when he turned back. Not only his face turned ghastly pale, different from the healthy whiteness he displayed before; but also the sclera in his eyes turned black and his irises and veins on in his face glowed in a sick crimson.

Wordlessly, Adam quickly moved his hand to his pants pockets and took out a tiny bottle with blue pills on it. He opened it and grabbed one pill. He closed the bottle, put it back on his pocked and swallowed the pill. He leaned on the railing and slid until he sat on the ground while he waited for the pill's effect to kick in. He tried to ignore the bitter tastes of the pill and bile. After almost a minute, his breath calmed down and the partial transformation on his face disappeared slowly.

"Shit," he cursed as he cleaned the sweat on his forehead. "This wasn't supposed to happen too soon." He lifted his eyes to see Kiana and Mei looking at him in bewilderment. He sighed, "Guess that I have to explain what just happened, don't I?" He asked rhetorically. The two girls nodded. Adam sighed again. "Long-short story, this gives me many perks like great strength, speed, stamina, abnormal healing and 'this'- he raised a hand and transformed it into a claw before turning it back into a human hand- it's pretty useful for combat and other things but the backlash is a total bitch." He grunted.

"So those gauntlets and the way you could heal, it's because of it?" Asked Mei. Adam nodded. "Then, how did you get them?" It was Kiana who asked this time. Adam looked a bit uncomfortable. He couldn't remember the details and circumstances accurately, but from what he recalled, his powers came from a very dangerous and messed up experiments. Not just messed up about human rights and stuff, but about things that had made his stomach churn when he thought about it.

He decided to partially lie. "I don't remember too much about it," he began. "One moment I was just running away from Honkai beasts, then the next, boom! Superpowers!" He motioned an explosion with his hands. Kiana looked at him skeptically. "That's it? You got them just like that?" She raised a brow. "I was hoping for, you know, something more, dramatic?" She looked a bit disappointed. By how she expressed herself, Adam knew that she didn't mean harm, just a bit let down that his backstory didn't play out like a manga. Still, it didn't make him feel good for what he said next, but it was necessary for the sake of his mission.

"So, bleeding and screaming my head off with a knight's lance in my stomach and its crushed core in my hand isn't dramatic? You hurt me, Kiana." He said sarcastically.

Mei gasped and covered her mouth with a hand at hearing this. Kiana panicked. "A-Adam! I-I didn't know. I-I." She was tripping to what to say. "I am sorry!" Kiana apologized quickly. Adam didn't like the sudden change of the conversation, but he couldn't allow loose ends about his origins.

"It's alright," he waved his hand in dismissal. "You didn't know and I should have said something else." Kiana and Mei slowly calmed, albeit they were uncomfortable. "It's something that I am not comfortable talking about." He decided to change from the topic. "By the way, going back to your initial panic Mei, as Kiana said, we will make sure that the Herrscher is kept at bay. That's a promise." He looked at Kiana. "Right, Kiana?"

"Yep!" Kiana agreed with him.

"But…" Mei began.

"Nope!" She chirped. "No matter what you say or what you did, we are here for you, Mei," Kiana affirmed her decision to help Mei, even if she was a Herrscher's host.

"Guys…" Mei was moved. To her, it has been a long time since someone showed genuine care for her aside from her father and her supposed 'friends'. She just met Kiana and Adam, but she was sure that they were true to their words.

_"{Did you really mean it? Would, you assist her if she needs your help?}" _The childish voice asked in curiosity.

"_**{Or are you going to help her by 'freeing' her from her fateful burden?}" **_The raspy voice asked with mockery concern. Adam didn't answer either of them. Unfortunately, or fortunately, the trio broke their attention towards the door that was being constantly knocked.

**BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!**

Their expressions turned serious. It was time to move. "Girls, what did you get from the apartments?" Adam asked. The girls moved behind the access roof to gather the things they found.

"Not much. Some canned food, a few bottles of water and these," Mei explained as she brought out a shotgun as Kiana put a baseball bat on her shoulder. Both carried bags on their shoulders. Adam was pretty sure the weapon was from someone from the previous residents.

"Do you know how to use it?" Mei nodded. "My father made me took a course about weapons, for personal defense." She explained. It appears that her father wanted her to be able to defend herself in any circumstance.

**BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!**

The door started to show dents. It was a question of seconds for them to tear apart the door.

"I can get us out of here," Adam said. "We will get down and from there we will continue making our way out of this city on feet." With his tendrils, the trio would have swung around the buildings to save time and energy, but with the previous fight, he could lose his focus and run rampant.

"I don't know this city, so you two will have to take the lead, ok?" The girls nodded. "I know this area. There is a train station not far from here." Mei said. Adam pondered for a moment about it. "What about electricity? If we go down there we are as good as dead in a closed space." Mei shook her head. "Don't worry. The electricity is still running and the train energy system was designed to keep running with solar energy in the case of a blackout." She explained.

**BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! CRACK!**

The door started to give in. Many gray hands started to break the door apart.

"An escape on a train it is!" Kiana shouted.

Quickly, Adam summoned his tendrils over his right arm, creating an oversized claw. He ignored the buzzing and pressure inside his head and screamed at the girls. "Hold onto me tight. This is going to be a hard descent!" In normal circumstances, the girls wouldn't have hugged a young man they just met, but being chased by a horde of undead in an infested city, well, it didn't leave too many options.

The girls hugged Adam tightly. Due to the adrenaline and the moment, Adam didn't register the warmth of their bodies or the soft objects against his chest. Well, just Adam.

"_{T-this is awkward…}"/ __**"{The softest of pillows in the entire world!}"**_

"_Not now!"_ He chastised. He put his free arm around them and jumped just in time when the door was broken and the zombies started to make their way towards them.

"AAAHHHH!" The girls screamed. Mei in fright because she has never done anything like this! For Kiana, she was frightened and excited, more of the latter one.

They started to descend fast due to the heaviness of three bodies. Quickly, maneuvering on the air, Adam used his oversized claw and drive it in the wall, tearing apart concrete and glass on their way down. Then, he moved tendrils under their legs, wrapping them in a protective shell. Once they struck the ground, they created a crater on the spot as a result. Due to the force-fall, there was a strong shockwave that blew zombies away and pushed some of the cars on the street.

"Whoa! That was exciting." Kiana crowed. Mei didn't share the sentiment. She looked confused and scared, trying to process what just happened. Adam felt dizzy. He retracted the tendrils. He started to feel a little better, but there was no time to rest. They staggered as they got up from the crater.

"Let's do that again!" Kiana cheered. Adam turned his head to see that they just fell from a twenty-story apartment. He deadpanned at Kiana. In her opinion, he looked funny with his transformation and poker face.

"How about 'no' anytime soon." He ignored her complaint as he drew Omen's handle. His transformation retracted.

"Drink." He ordered. The weapon obeyed and drank his blood. Adam felt the dizziness growing, but he pushed it back and with a jerk of his wrist, he drew the ominous red blade. Mei looked at it as she and Kiana prepared their weapons. Adam felt her stare.

"Something on your mind?" Adam startled Mei at being caught. She pondered for a moment before she answered. "Your weapon. I have a glimpse of it when I was… sleeping." Adam understood that she didn't feel comfortable about her slumber when the Herrscher was causing havoc.

"Oh. Well, this blade is called Omen and the other that you may have seen before is called Gungnir. I found them when I was traveling with Kiana's old man." Mei nodded at his response.

"Guys." Kiana caught their attention. They turned to her. She motioned with her head towards the zombies making their way towards them.

"Right. Mei, you will guide." He ordered. "Let's fight when it's needed. Better save energy and ammo for when we really need it." The girls agreed with him.

The dizziness started to disappear as the adrenaline started to run all over his system.

**ARGH**!

"Ready or not, here we go!" Screamed Adam as he along with the girls charged against the zombies.

* * *

_Three hours later…_

After a tiresome and long journey across the infested streets of the city, the three managed to make their way towards the train station. While difficult at first with the overwhelming number of zombies, they reached their way inside the train station. Kiana and he closed the entrance railings to not let more zombies inside the station. They proved to be pretty durable against the group of undead. The hallways proved to not be an issue. Most of them were lonely, with the occasional wanderer zombie stumbling. But once they reached the warehouse where the trains were stored, well, easy to say that Adam wasn't happy.

"Eat shit and die!" Screamed Adam pissed off as he chopped heads and bodies from zombies with Omen. Not far behind, Kiana bashed heads off with her bat and Mei shot when the zombies gathered in small groups to save ammo. A few minutes later, the trio managed to clean and block the entry of the warehouse.

"Damn it! We lost much time moving around and killing these bastards." Adam cursed as he stomped over the head of a still-moving zombie. The girls tried to not cringle at the brutal display. "Hey, Adam. I think you need to chill a little," chided Kiana at him.

Adam was about to retort in a sassy way until he remembered who he was. He inhaled deeply and exhaled. "Shit. It's just," he clicked his tongue with a 'che'. "It just one thing after another that keeps happening since I arrived in this city." He massaged his forehead. "First, I overslept, losing time on my way to Soukai City; second, the entire place goes to hell due to a Honkai eruption; it turns out that is not caused by a Honkai Emperor class, but by a damn Herrscher, no offense, Mei." He quickly apologized. Mei shook her head. "It's okay," she didn't mind Adam's words.

He kept fussing. The girls allowed him to let off steam. "There is no backup and when we are so close to getting the hell out of this shithole, there is a horde of zombies walking around the train station and inside the damn warehouse!" He went silent, trying to regain his breath. Kiana looked at him with sympathy.

"Feeling better?" Asked Kiana. Adam stayed silent for another moment before answering.

"Yeah. Sorry about that." He apologized again. "It has been a really long day and my head is killing me." Kiana got close to him and put her hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, I get what you mean." Like him, she sighed in tiredness.

"Really?"

"Yes. I am really hungry and I will kill just for a moment to rest and eat something delicious!" She fumed. Adam couldn't help but smile at Kiana's childish attitude. He didn't blame her. It has been hours since he had a decent meal and puking the snack Mei gave him didn't help with his hungry.

"If it's alright with you, I could cook something to take your hunger away once we found somewhere safe," Mei said. In a blink, Kiana teleported in front of Mei and hugged her tightly. "Would you really do that, Mei-senpai?" Kiana asked chirpily. "Yes." She agreed. "Also, Kiana-chan, you are too strong," Mei added. Kiana didn't break the hug despite her words.

"It's that alright?" Adam inquired raising a brow. "It has been tiresome these last two days. We don't want to impose, Mei." Adam commented.

"No, in fact, I really enjoy cooking." She explained. _"And more when is for fr-friends, real friends,"_ Mei in melancholy thought. She used to cook for her 'old friends' before the scandal about her father came out. Despite the smiles and praise they gave her, she never felt a deep connection of friendship with those people back then. This idea was reinforced when things went downhill.

"It's the least I can do for you two after all the trouble I gave you." She smiled. "Plus, I have been told that my food is quite delicious." She added. Adam wasn't convinced with her offer, but refuting Mei would seem like an insult against her token of gratitude.

"If you say so, Mei. Well, at least we are getting good and free food." Mei was happy that Adam didn't try to deny her help anymore. Adam was about to say something else when some tall shelves in the warehouse and a rusty wagon were pushed aside. The three looked at the responsible.

"You got to be shitting me!" He cursed.

It was a white bulky figure walking on four extremities. The front ones were bigger than the hind legs.

It was a Chariot. A terrible enemy for the place they were in.

Immediately, Kiana drew her guns and with Mei, they proceed to shot it. Despite the power force of the bullets, the Chariot didn't flinch. The two stopped shooting.

"Our guns are not even scratching that thing." Mei hissed seeing the inefficiency of their weapons.

The chariot took advantage of the moment and launched against the three. They jumped back in time, avoiding being crushed by its bulged legs. Debris flew and a cloud of dust formed. The three tensed, waiting for its next move.

"I will jump on this bastard once he moves again!" Adam voiced. He prepared himself to jump on the Honkai beast until a new voice interrupted them.

"Target locked." The voice was female and stoic, almost as if a robot was speaking. The voice reminded Adam of the drones from Olympus Site. The Chariot turned to see the new guest.

"Deploying Project Bunny 19 C." A big futuristic robot appeared of nowhere as the dust started to settle down. It was nothing that they have ever seen before. And their raising astonishment, the person who spoke was a petite silver-haired girl in front of the robot. Her hair was tied in two curly tails hanging from the side of her head. Her expression was emotionless. Cold gray eyes matched her expression. She wore a brown short-coat, a soft green vest under it accompanied by a straight-striped themed blouse. Her legs were covered with a sort of armor. Despite the large robot levitating behind her, Adam couldn't help but think that she looked like a fine porcelain doll.

"Engaging." The girl raised her left arm and the robot mimicked the motion. The trio noted that its left arm was, a big canon that started to charge speedy with energy.

"Fire." Was the cold order the petite girl voiced. Not wasting any second, the robot proceeded with her order and shot. Given the medium distance between the Chariot and the mysterious girl, it didn't have the opportunity to avoid its imminent death. More dust and debris were lifted up, blocking their vision. Despite not seeing the aftermath, there was no doubt that the Chariot was no more. Once the dust settled, the girl turned her attention towards them.

"Wh-what the hell is that?!" Kiana cried in surprise while waving and pointing with her guns towards the robot.

"E-Eh?!" Mei had her eyes wide open in astonishment. She couldn't be blamed for not finding the right words to say. It was one thing after another happening in a short span of time. Adam was about to voice his opinion until the pressure inside his head worsened along with his ache.

"_**{Be on guard. This is too coincidental.}"**_ The voice croaked on alert. The pressure dropped until it was a numb sensation. He would have ignored its advice in another time, but the seriousness in which it said it and the avoided close-death experiences he had when it was on alert, made him feel cautious about the new girl. And he agreed with it, the time was too coincidental.

"Seriously. What the hell just happened?!" Cried out Kiana again. The girl looked stoically at her. The futuristic robot kept floating behind her.

"The Bronya believes what just happened explains by itself." The girl, now identified as Bronya, declared in her monotone voice.

"Why are you talking like a calculator?" Kiana was puzzled. While Bronya maintained a cold expression, Adam saw a little twitch on her lips.

"Brainless organic form identified. The Bronya is sure that is pointless to try to explain something so simple." She said as a matter of fact.

"What did you call me, short iron board?!" Kiana fumed. "For your information, my name is Kiana!"

"Engaging against idiotka." The robot, Project Bunny 19 C, started to charge its canon as it pointed against Kiana. In response, Kiana aimed her guns to Bronya. Mei and Adam tensed, ready to jump into action to aid their companion.

"_Shit!"_ Adam cursed mentally as the canon finished charging.

"Fire."

* * *

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**UNIT LERAJE LOGGING IN**

**UNIT LERAJE LOGGED IN**

**UNIT LERAJE REPORTING NEW URGENT ACTIVITY IN RELATION TO HERMES.**

**SUBJECT HERMES MADE CONTACT WITH SUBJECT, THE THIRD RULER.**

**THE THIRD RULER HAS BEEN CONTAINED FOR THE MOMENT TROUGH THE DEEDS OF HERMES AND AID FROM SUBJECT, YOUNG KNIGHT.**

**THIRD RULER IN SLUMBER.**

**THIRD RULER'S HOST, PRIESTESS, FULLY CONSCIOUS.**

**HERMES, YOUNG KNIGHT AND PRIESTESS ARE NOW TRAVELLING TOGETHER INSIDE NAGAZORA; NOW KNOW AS; N-3 RED ZONE.**

**NOTE: YOUNG KNIGHT AND WANDERER KNIGHT SHARE KINSHIP. ODD GIVEN-**

** [REDACTED]**

**UNDERSTOOD.**

**CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION TOO IMPORTANT TO DISCUSS AND TO KEEP IN MAIN MEMORY.**

**ERASING TOPIC**

**[DATA EXPLUNGED].**

**HERMES, YOUNG KNIGHT AND PRIESTESS ARE BEING PURSUED BY SUBJECT, GRAY WOLF.**

**GRAY WOLF HAS KEPT HER DISTANCE SINCE WITNESSING HERMES AND YOUNG KNIGHT FIGHTING THIRD RULER.**

**SUBJECT, ECHIDNA IS STIRRING.**

**LERAJE SUGGESTS ELIMINATION OF ECHIDNA BEFORE THE SUBJECT BECOMES A PROBLEM THAT INTERFERES WITH PRIMORDIAL OBJECTIVES.**

** [REDACTED]**

**VERY WELL.**

**ECHIDNA WILL NOT BE HARMED.**

**UNIT LERAJE WILL KEEP OBSERVING AND REPORTING NEW ACTIVITY ABOUT GRAY WOLF, HERMES AND HIS COMPANIONS UNTIL THEY ARE OUT OF N-3 RED ZONE.**

**GRAY WOLF SEEMS TO TAKE A HOSTILE STAND AGAINST YOUNG KNIGHT.**

** [REDACTED]**

**UNDERSTOOD.**

**UNIT LERAJE LOGGING OFF**

**UNIT LERAJE LOG11110 {1000101010} GGG**

**UNIT LERAJE LOGGED OFF**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

* * *

Kiana jumped back, just in time to avoid a deadly blast of energy. Mei and Adam imitated her.

"You!" Kiana growled. Despite that she was almost killed, Kiana wasn't heartless to kill a child. She aimed towards Bronya's legs and arms, at least to stop her for the moment. As the bullets traveled towards Bronya, Kiana braced for hisses, if not screams of pain.

_**CLANK!**_

"Of course it wouldn't be so easy," Kiana muttered. The bullets were blocked off by Project Bunny, who materialized a shield big enough to cover Bronya, bouncing harmlessly the bullets. Despite the bullets missed their target, Kiana was relieved that she didn't hurt an innocent kid.

"Idiotka efforts are wasteful," Bronya commented.

She took back her thought about the short girl being innocent. "You are really asking for it, midget!" Kiana hissed.

"The Bronya demands the stupid to be eliminated." Bronya raised her voice a little.

"I will not be killed by a stupid little girl with no boobs!

"Better no boobs than those waste of nutrients on your chest and not in your head."

"I am not an idiot!"

The two continued throwing insults at each other.

"Please stop!" Mei pleaded. "There is no need to fight!" Adam agreed with her. Besides, Adam noted more growls and moans started to come from one of the hallways. _"Maybe those zombies were already here but in other rooms."_ Adam thought.

"Denied. Idiotka just insulted the Bronya's person. It shall not be left unpunished." Project Bunny started to charge its cannon again.

"You are asking for it, midget!" Kiana was ready to shoot her again. The growls started to sound closer.

"Girls," Mei also noted the coming growls. "We can discuss later. We need to leave before they come to get us!" She tried to calm the situation. But despite this, Kiana and Bronya were too stubborn to point who was at fault even in this situation.

"She must apologize first for calling me an idiot!"

"The Bronya wants the Idiotka on her knees begging for pardon."

"You!"

"Girls!" The growls and moans were getting closer and closer…

"EVERYONE SHUT **THE FUCK UP!" **Adam lost his cool at the childish display when they were about to be overrun. His voice distorted as his power activated unconsciously. The red veins on his face and eyes shinned, mirroring his anger.

"Adam, what-?" he interrupted Kiana. **"I don't care! Get you two your shit together!"** He turned to Bronya. Behind her, Project Bunny raised its arm to Adam. He ignored it. There wasn't time to fight among them.

"**Bronya. Is there a quick way out of here?!"** Bronya looked at him like she was analyzing him. She was pondering if he wasn't hostile. He didn't have time for that.

"**Bronya!"** He called.

"Yes," Project Bunny lowered its canon. She started to explain. "The Bronya was moving across the city using the train system. The Bronya decided to stop in this station to search for supplies that may help during her escape from the city."

"**Cool. You will have to deal** with us for the time being." His face went back to normal along with his voice. A few zombies started to appear at the entrance of one of the hallways.

"Lead the way, Bronya." She gave a short nod. She turned around and started to levitate rapidly towards a hallway that was barely perceived due to being covered by a shelf.

"Fine! But she still had to apologize for calling me an idiot." Kiana grumped while jogging behind her.

"Later. For now, we need to get the hell out of here." He barked.

"Thanks," Mei said softly at him for his intervention and started to follow the other girls. Adam moved his head back for a moment to see the incoming group of zombies. Like her, Adam started to follow them.

"_That could have turned awful."_

"_**{She didn't even protest,}"**_ the hiss began. _**"{How noble of Bronya to save us in the right moment.}" **_It chuckled. _**"{It's too good to be the truth. And that thing following her, it's dangerous.}"  
**_

"_Yeah, and having a crazy voice inside my head is normal."_ Adam thought back.

"_**{Suit yourself.}"**_ It barked before going silent. Adam shook his head and continued running to reach the girls.

* * *

_Meanwhile, in Sydney, inside a pub…_

"Another beer, please."

"I don't know, pal. This is your sixth drink."

"Just give me another one and I will leave. I don't have a car if that's what you are worried about."

The pub where Siegfried was currently in was almost lonesome. There was a group of middle-aged men chatting at the deep of the pub.

The old barman sighed. "Alright, but this is the last one." He informed Siegfried, passing him his last bottle of beer for the day.

Siegfried caught the bottle. He didn't' drink right away, he just kept looking at the television that was airing a talent show. Years of experience made the barman understood that Siegfried wasn't really looking at the TV. He had a forlorn look on his face as he kept his eyes on the screen. The barman decided to not ask him, it wasn't his business and he wasn't in the mood to hear a drunk's pit story.

After Siegfried spoke with Richard and got what he needed, he went straight to a bar. As to why was so simple. He tried to forget the circumstance that led his old easy-going friend to a serious and bitter handicapped man. What better solution than to kill a few hundred neurons to keep his mind from wandering in the dark lane of memory.

_[24 TV series phone ringtone]_

His forlorn visage darkened as he heard his phone sounding.

He didn't pick up the call and continued drinking, ignoring the sound. The cellphone went silent, but it wasn't long before it sounded again. Siegfried ignored it.

"Aren't you going to answer?" The barman asked.

Siegfried shook his head and took another gulp of the bitter beer, this time bigger. His was bottle was half-empty when his cellphone sounded again.

"If you are not going to pick it, at least put your phone in mute." The barman frowned in annoyance. He went to set a couple of bottles at the end of the service bar. Siegfried gave a short chuckle. _"If it were so easy…"_ he thought tiredly.

Siegfried set down the bottle on the panel and picked up the call.

"Took you long enough, Siegfried." Said a female voice.

Siegfried didn't mind her sarcastic tone. "Hello, Hestia. What I can do for you?"

The soft voice on the other end of the line sighed. "Siegfried, how it went?" Despite being an advance AI, cold software and numbers; her voice sounded concerned. Siegfried replied with a dry chuckle.

"As good as you could have expected, Hestia. It's was a stroke of luck that he even let me set a foot inside his house." He passed his left hand over his head. "His body and mood are a mess, Hestia. He really tries to keep a happy attitude around her daughter, but deep down, we know that his wife and kid are the only things that kept him from doing a stupidity."

"Did you mention the prosthesis?"

"He didn't even let me say that, Hestia. He commented that _the tumors_, inside his stumps, don't let him have them."

Hestia didn't say a word for long seconds. Siegfried continued drinking his beer.

"Did he gave you the data?" She asked. Siegfried nodded despite she couldn't see him. "Yeah. He gave me all the information for this little task of yours, Hestia. Also, he made pretty clear that he doesn't want to see me ever again. Much less to be around his family." He sounded tired, and it wasn't for the jetlag or the beer.

"For what it is worth, Siegfried, I-" He cut her off.

"No, Hestia," he tried to keep his temper in check. "Just. Don't." He inhaled deeply to calm himself. He rested his left arm on the panel as he leaned forward. If Hestia was offended for his interruption and tone he didn't care.

"Alright. Then I-!" Hestia suddenly went silent for long seconds.

Despite been drinking, Siegfried's sixth sense for trouble went off when she quieted like this. It couldn't be good.

"Hestia?" He asked.

"Siegfried," she began. "Whatever you are doing, left it." She sounded troubled. "I need you to go immediately to the docks. I am going to send you a map. There is something you need to retrieve. I am doing the arrangements necessary for you, so you can pick it up."

"Alright. Tell me where I am going." Her answer confused him.

"At seven kilometers to the east. You are going into the ocean."

"What? But-!" He croaked.

"Don't argue with me! Move it. ASAP!" she hanged up after she yelled.

Siegfried got up from his stool and left a couple of bills on the panel. He turned around and ran off to the door.

"Hey!" Siegfried turned back to the old barman. "What?!" Siegfried asked quickly. "I am in a hurry!"

"You are paying the double, pal." The barman pointed the bills with bigger value on the panel.

"Keep the change!" It was the last thing Siegfried said before he disappeared through the door. The old bartender just sighed and picked up the empty bottle.

"I wonder what made him run off like that." He picked them up. "Mmh?" He raised a brow when he noted a fine cape of ice on the panel.

"How strange."

* * *

**Well, I hope that you enjoyed the chapter, sorry for the delay.**

**Leave comments to improve the story.**

**Bye!**

**P. S.: Some may have noticed from where did I get the 'frozen forest' mantra.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Honkai Impact doesn't belong to me. Blah, yadda, you know the drill.**

**Thanks for the reviews.**

**I will be honest, I didn't have for a goal to make the chapter this large. The first sketches were about 6 k words. As you know, I write from 6 to even 8 K words per chapter, not more. I was thinking about splitting the chapter in two, but the idea didn't sit well with me. My apologies if the whole thing is a bit overwhelming.  
**

**Sorry about the occasional grammar mistakes or strange use of words. English isn't my native language, yet I will try to make my best when writing.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

The wind fluttered softly trough her Miko robes as she watched from a rooftop with great attention to the new and different buildings and places the city offered.

Yae Sakura was in deep thought. Thinking about a much-known concept to her for a long time.

Loneliness.

When her little sister was still alive, it didn't matter if her father and the other residents of her village ignored and showed disdain towards her, whenever they weren't worried about new matters to the village or the news from the will of the gods; at least she had someone with whom she felt companionship and love.

Then, Rin, her little sister, was sacrificed offered to the gods, so the village could survive.

Her little sunshine was crushed, right before her eyes. It was only her sister's wish for her to become into a good Miko that prevented her to use her blade against her father the village's leader and to take her life.

Days, months and years passed monotonously to her while carrying out her duties to preserve and protect the village. Despite that, no matter her sister's last will, she couldn't stomp the growing loathe and despair towards the village and to herself.

Then, she appeared in the river, wearing strange robes, wounded and grasping tightly a black box.

At first, she was an unknown traveler, a girl trying to run away from something terrible. A deep regret. Sakura knew that look very well. After all, more than once she had seen it when she took baths on the river and while preparing herself to perform her duties as a Miko, all for the well-being of the village.

The stranger slowly became a familiar face, a name. Then, slowly, the vines from a known face reached her. A friendship that gave her stability. No longer would she have to face the dangers that lurked the village. There was someone that looked at her not as a Miko or the Cursed Witch of the village, but as a trustworthy friend.

And with time, that vine of friendship blossomed into a beautiful love. That love gave her the wanting to see another day with her loved one.

For an instant, her duties, the expectations of the villagers, the cold treatment from her father, Rin's last will and the darkness inside her heart were not so heavy anymore. She felt like breathing for the first time in a long while. The hugs and kisses given by her lover were like holy drops that slowly cured her broken heart.

She dared to feel something that she thought was lost since Rin.

Yae Sakura dared to hope.

She had hoped her life and love with Kallen continued forever.

But to hope, it's to call for despair.

If only that accursed box was lost forever in that river…

"**Don't blame me for the actions of Kallen Kaslana and those fool villagers,"** its voice was like a whisper, and yet, there were so much hate and ire on it. **"Instead, you should be thanking me for making possible your meet with her."**

"Go away, fiend," Sakura whispered harshly. Nothing good would come with speaking with the fiend that cursed her.

"**You know is true, Sakura."** Sakura used all her training as a Miko to not lash at it. **"If Kallen Kaslana wasn't hurt and didn't appear bleeding out in that river, you would be dead, like the rest of those pathetic villagers!"**

"_Deep breaths."_ She thought. The only sign that the fiend got under her skin was she clenching her fists.

A black mist manifested at her side, taking the form of a large fox. Its eyes, teeth, claws and the mist at the end of its tails, they were red like blood.

The demoniac beast that Kallen carried inside the black box all those years ago.

"**Silent as usual, huh?"** The fiend fumed when Sakura didn't turn to see at it. **"I wonder if she didn't scream as they executed her. Those humans, her fellow companions, could be brutish when someone became a traitor."** It said with a casual voice like it was speaking about the weather. The fiend knew that Sakura had pride as a patient person, given her formation as a Miko, but even she had limits. It cost the fiend to not laugh when she turned her face to it. It knew which buttons to press. There was anger boiling inside her eyes. It took great pleasure seeing Sakura struggling to regain her posture. The demonic fox felt a pull coming from Sakura. It wasn't physical, but it knew right away that it was coming from her.

"Be. Quiet. Fiend." Her voice was cold. Sakura moved her eyes from the cursed fox to calm herself. She watched how the sun rays slowly appeared over the horizon. There was a big park some squares ahead. Around it, many stores displayed in their cabinets flashy clothes and different brands of snacks.

"**I may stay silent, but with that **_**pure conscious of yours**_**, you would go slowly insane,"** then, it added. **"We had seen it before, didn't we?"** It smirked remembering what happened at the village before its defeat at Kallen's hands.

"It was you who caused the village destruction, demon," she responded sharply, not taking her eyes off from the city.

The fiend chuckled. **"Delude yourself all you want, but in the end, you will-!"** the demonic fox suddenly stopped. Sakura didn't turn to look at it again, but she couldn't help but lift barely a brow at its abnormal interruption on its words, but she wasn't going to waste this opportunity to enjoy the pacific silence.

She drank the sight of the many building of different colors and sizes. The billboards and giant screens that played a commercial about the new trending in clothes and sports. There were many things she didn't understand, but it was a much better sight compared to the total darkness inside the cursed black box.

At the distance, there was a big explosion on a rooftop. Sakura made a silent prayer in silence for the unfortunate souls on that rooftop and to the wandering aimlessly zombies on the streets. The fox kept silent. From the corner of her vision, she saw that it was staring in the direction where the explosion happened. Its posture was tense, like an animal watching out for danger. After many minutes, Sakura decided to move on and see if perhaps there was someone still alive in the city that may require assistance.

She may no longer be the Miko from the Yae Village, but that didn't stop her from trying to protect innocents. _"Like her."_

She was about to jump off the rooftop. She didn't mind if the fiend wasn't going to jump with her, wherever she went, the fiend followed her.

"**Sakura,"** she was about to ignore its words, but there was something new on its tone. **"Whatever you do, under no circumstance do not go in that direction."** It motioned with its snout to the explosion on the rooftop in the distant building. It was agitated.** "Don't go there. Whatever it is,"** Sakura dared to think that it looked shaken. **"It is unnatural."** It finished as it disappeared at her side. For a moment, Sakura wondered what could have made the insufferable demonic fox anxious, but she shuddered off. After all, they recently came out to the physical world. Maybe the fiend was adjusting to its new senses?

Sakura looked towards where the explosion took place. The rooftop was on fire. Nothing that called for her attention or the fiend's worry.

She didn't spend more time on the rooftop. She jumped down, towards the street filled with zombies.

There may be people in need of her assistance, and maybe use this time to make herself familiar with this new world.

If she had stayed a few more seconds, she would have seen a figure moving through the tops of the buildings at great speed.

* * *

"The train is two hundred meters ahead," Bronya reported.

"Why the hell did you leave it away?" Kiana complained while running. Not far behind, Mei and Adam followed them.

"Practical. In case the hostiles try to get on the train, making the transport a mortal trap when needed." Bronya explained.

Despite the long-distance that Bronya left the train, Mei and Adam agreed with her. The train would be safe from unwanted guests, given the lonesome underground tracks and the long distance between each station. Although it could be a problem if you were carrying heavy equipment or if someone were injured and were pursued by the hordes of undead. Fortunately, the four run-away girls and one guy were in good condition to run and levitate, in Bronya's case.

Bronya speeded down once the train was in their reach. Project Bunny transformed its left canon-arm into a long spear. It adjusted to come at a medium length. When she reached the train, she and Project Bunny took a caution position.

"What are you doing?" Kiana looked puzzled at Bronya's action. Adam and Mei just reached them.

"The Bronya prepares in the case of hostiles inside the train." She explained dryly. Adam nodded in agreement.

"The Bronya prompts Adam and Idiotka to check the immediate side doors." Her voice sounded more like an order.

"Stop calling me an idiot! I am, Kiana! And why I should do what you say?" Kiana grumbled.

"Ignoring the idiot part, she is right, Kiana," Adam began to explain. "She could kill whatever would have gotten inside with her spear while we can keep them in the middle and set them directly in Bronya's attack line."

"Dah," Bronya nodded to Adam for his understanding of her order.

"Let's do it," Adam said as Kiana prepared her guns. "Mei, you and Kiana take the right side. I will take the left."

"Are you sure?" Mei asked. He nodded. "What about… your condition?" She asked.

"I will be fine if I just use the minimum, like this," he then raised his right hand and transformed it into a blade at the same length of his hand There was whiteness on his wrist. Mei was not convinced but didn't pressure him. She was still wrapping her head about the fact of a young man with transformation powers inside an undead city.

"_Little steps, I guess?"_ She thought. Kiana and she went to the left door side of the train. Adam did the same on the right. Project Bunny put its right arm on the front door. "Move into action at the count of three," Bronya said. She didn't wait for their response.

"One…" Mei prepared to open the door and Kiana aimed her guns at the door. She aimed up, to avoid shooting Adam by mistake.

"Two…" Adam put his left hand on the door handle while he set his hand-blade back and tensed the arm, ready to deliver a quick attack.

"Three!" They opened the doors at the same time harshly. Kiana, Mei, and Adam moved their eyes over the inside of the train.

It was empty.

"Clear!"

"Nothing!"

Project Bunny lowered the spear. Project Bunny disappeared, although Bronya kept floating. Once inside, the three locked the doors and moved towards the middle section of the train.

"The Bronya is sure that the middle section of the train was properly locked, but suggests to keep your guard in case of a surprise," she informed. Adam took the front, followed by Kiana, who kept her guns ready. Fortunately to them, Bronya's words remained true. There weren't any zombies inside the train. Once they reached the middle section, they locked the door behind them and breathed a sigh of relief. They put down their weapons. They noted that there was a backpack, blankets, a package of bottles filled with water and a mountain of snacks on a row of sits. On the other row of sits, there were wrappers of snacks and empty bottles.

Seeing the snacks, Kiana wasn't able to hold her happiness at the sight of food.

"Food!" Kiana chirped. She was going to throw herself towards the pile of sweets when suddenly, a robotic arm materialized and held her from reaching the snacks. "Hey! What gives?" She complained as she turned to Bronya, who sported the origin of the partial arm over her right shoulder. Bronya pushed Kiana aside. She made an angry look. Adam and Mei just watched.

"This is Bronya's food, idiotka," she stated. The arm disappeared, but Bronya stood in front of the snacks. "If you really want some, subject Kiana just has to ask."

"Wow! Really?" Kiana asked incredulously. The other two were surprised, although they had the feeling it was just the calm before the whiplash.

"Yes. You just have to beg on your knees and swear loyalty towards the Bronya for the rest of your life," Bronya explained in her even tone. While she wasn't making an arrogant tone or face, Adam was sure that she was making a smug face inside her.

"What?!" Kiana fumed. "Like hell, I am going to do that!"

"Then, starve as subjects Mei and Adam eat with the Bronya these delicious snacks," she said with a sharp tone. She looked at Mei and Adam and gestured with her hand towards the snacks. Kiana was about to protest until her stomach growled in discontent. She fell to her knees while making a whimper expression. "Please, serve yourselves," insisted while ignoring the crestfallen Kiana at her side. _"Wow, she is a sadist,"_ Adam thought surprised at the contrast between her words and stoic expression.

Reluctantly, Mei walked towards the snacks. She looked at the whimper expression on Kiana's face, then she turned to look at Bronya who looked back.

"Is there a problem, subject Mei?" Bronya asked while tilting lightly her head to the side. "Ano, Bronya-chan?" Mei looked awkward for the moment. "Yes, subject Mei?" Bronya asked again. "Could you please give Kiana-chan some food? She is just hungry and tired of…all that is happening in the city," Mei pleaded in favor of Kiana. The silver-haired girl nodded quickly.

Bronya pondered for a moment before answering. "The Bronya is not sure about this course of action," Kiana stopped moving, looking more fallen than before. "The idiotka would gain more energetic with food and more annoying to the Bronya," she explained. "I will make sure that Kiana-chan doesn't bother you, Bronya-chan," assured Mei.

"If it helps," Adam chimed in. "Kiana is right now on her knees. I don't think the begging will do, but please, give her some food and we will make sure that she is tame for the rest of the travel. Promise," Adam said. Bronya pondered for another moment, looking between Kiana and the pair, before accepting the proposal. "Alright." Kiana's eyes sparked as she heard this. "The Bronya will accept your deal. Please fulfill your part as well." Kiana's saviors nodded. Bronya span and moved towards the cockpit. "The Bronya will begin the automatic pilot and come back. You may start to eat," then she opened the door and closed it behind her.

Mei and Adam sighed in relief. "It could have gotten ugly," Mei commented. Adam agreed with her. "Yes." He looked towards the snacks. "Well, at least someone is happier than us," the two saw as Kiana, still on her knees, ate the snacks like a hungry wolf. She tore wrappers to the side as she ate the snacks in two bites. Feeling their stares, Kiana stopped eating and looked towards her saviors from starving.

"Thuunk ya guuys!" she thanked with her mouth full.

"Kiana-chan, please swallow and don't speak with your mouth full!" Mei reprimanded. Kiana obeyed and swallowed everything with a big gulp the food. "Sorry, Mei-senpai!" Kiana apologized, don't being sorry for her behavior. Mei just sighed in return and took a bag of chips and sat in a free sit. Adam did the same and took a bottle of water. Kiana was about to tear trough the food again but Mei got in the way.

"Kiana-chan, remember, this is for everyone. Don't eat everything and chew more calmly."

"Alright," she said a little miffed but obeyed Mei.

After the long way towards the train station, the three finally found a moment to relax and recover strength from the ordeal they have been going through these last long hours. While the three were eating in silence, it was not the case inside Adam's head.

"_**{This is a trap. It is better if you are on your own,}" **_the sinister voice barked.

"_If we are on our own, that means we won't have a way to get the hell out of this city as soon as possible," then Adam added. "One, it could take another day or two to leave the city. Two, while the three of us are decent to fight, it is just a matter of time and luck before we run into a Honkai Beast above our level. Hell, it could appear an Emperor Class at the worst time!" Adam exclaimed._

"_**{But not for you,}" **_it responded_.__** "{You know that you can tear apart an Emperor Class if you really wanted.}" **_Adam fell silent. Adam just heard its voice, but he was pretty sure that the bastard was smirking with his silence. _**"{Yet, you have to play the hero guy and help these brats to survive this forsaken city,}" **_it clicked its tongue in distaste.

"_I am helping Kiana because I owe it to Siegfried; two, although Mei is the vessel of the Third Herrscher, she is just an innocent dragged in this shitty war against the Honkai; and last, shut the fuck up!"_ Adam screamed mentally. Despite this, the voice was not done. _**"{Oh, how noble of you, trying to save the vessel of the Herrscher,}" **_it released a dry chuckle. _**"{If I am not wrong, some hours ago you were serious about killing her. It was only to Kiana's intervention that stopped you from eliminating her.}"**_

"_That was before Mei proved she was still fighting against the Will of the Honkai!" _He argued. _"Kiana and I are lucky we managed to-," the voice chimed. __**"{If you are going to be a hypocrite, be one to the girls, but not to me and yourself, Adam,}"**_ it sounded exasperated. _**"{Your first instinct was to kill her. Let's be honest, you hold yourself back because the words Mei uttered trigger some memories in this stinkhole that is your head.}".**_ Adam went silent. He didn't want to give the bastard the satisfaction, but in a way it was right. He held back, partially, because the desperate words that Mei pronounced made him remember a fragment from his blurred past.

"_N-no. Don't take m-my memories. I need them!"_ The words made him feel the despair and yearn in them. He got a glimpse of a powerful storm happening around him, and the connection he felt towards some of his known memories…a

"_**{Perhaps, there are already a pair of breasts already pulling you around or there are two?}" **_It gibed._** "{You were always bitching the old man habits were getting in the jobs, brat. Maybe you really need a good 'hand' once you get out of this place.}" **_It gibed.

Its implications were not lost to him. Adam gritted his teeth. _"That is not true, you mother-!"_

"Adam-kun, are you alright?" He turned to the origin's voice. It was Mei. She recoiled once his eyes settled on her. He noted that Bronya was back, eating a chocolate bar while sitting next to Mei on one of the sits. Kiana was still on the floor, eating at a normal pace a big bag of chips. When he looked at Mei, the other girls stopped eating and looked towards him.

"Subject Adam, why are you glaring at subject Mei?" Bronya asked. She wasn't the only one. "Hey, Adam! Why are glaring at Mei-senpai like that?!" Different from Bronya, whose tone was even, Kiana was miffed at the way he looked towards Mei.

"_I am what?"_ He blinked a couple of times before recognizing the familiar cold on his face. _"{You lost control. You allowed it to get under your skin,}_" the childish voice reprimanded him, sounding serious. A rare occurrence. Adam wasn't sure what nagged him more; that the dark voice pissed him off or the righteous one was right. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The familiar cold disappeared softly. _"{Apologize to her. She didn't deserve your killing glare just because you couldn't control your temper,}_ it demanded. He hated to admit it, but it could be really serious and mature when his temper exploded, especially towards women or children. In a way, it reminded him of his sister Celeste.

"Sorry," he quickly apologized looking towards Mei. She looked nervous before nodding. "I-it's alright, Adam-kun," she accepted the apology thought she stuttered a bit. "Subject Mei, should I take measures against subject Adam?" Bronya asked. To emphasize her point, she got up from her seat and Project Bunny materialized behind her. Unconsciously, Adam's posture tensed.

"N-no!" Mei negated as she quickly got up from her seat, getting between Adam and Bronya. "It's a misunderstanding! I'm sure that Adam did not mean it," she turned to him, looking for his confirmation. "Y-yeah," he said a little awkward, raising his hands to placate Bronya. "I wasn't angry at her or anything, just - he sighed- just remembering something nasty. That's all." He explained.

Despite the (lame) explanation, Bronya did not take her eyes off from Adam neither Project Bunny disappeared. "The Bronya detects a slight difference in subject Adam's voice," she frowned. "You are lying." This raised alarms in Adam's head. _"We just met and she already has measured my response?!"_ He moved his eyes to Project Bunny. _"That robot is quite convenient."_ The ambient suddenly got tense. Inwardly Adam was wondering if the constant tense moments he was going through were karma or bad luck since he came to Nagazora City.

To his surprise, Kiana came to his rescue. "Does it have something to do with your powers?" She asked. Despite Kiana's mistake in the subject, in a way she was right. Adam didn't waste the opportunity. "Yes. The backlash from my powers sometimes made me remember what happened the first time I used them," he responded with a casual but firm tone. His breath relaxed along with his posture. He didn't want to tick off Bronya's lie detector.

"Calm down dwarf. He just remembered something bad, that's all," she continued eating the chips as nothing happened. Bronya threw her a glare before relenting, surprisingly. Project Bunny disappeared again. "Understand," she turned to Adam. "Subject Adam, please try to control your emotional output in the future," she turned to Mei and gave a short bow and went back to her sit, eating again her chocolate bar, as nothing happened mere moments ago.

The tense atmosphere dispersed instantly like it never happened. Adam and Mei blinked a couple of times before turning to look at each other. They kept the stare for a few seconds before they started to chuckle softly. _"Are we the odd ones?" _both thought at the same time while chuckling. While these two were snickering, they were being watched by Bronya and Kiana. "Are subjects Mei and Adam a couple?" Bronya inquired, tilting lightly her head to the side. The two immediately stopped chuckling. Kiana started to choke with her chips, hitting her chest to swallow them; Mei gained an atomic blush while stuttering to respond, and Adam just stared in disbelief at Bronya.

"WHAT?!" the older girls asked in disbelief. Adam was a bit surprised at the rise of volume in their voices. "B-Bronya-chan, why do you ask that?!" Mei questioned as she tried to compose herself. "By the knowledge recollected by the Bronya, the way subjects Mei and Adam interact between each other give the impression the two of you are a couple," explained Bronya. "Do we look like it?" Adam questioned raising a brow. Bronya looked at him. "I mean, sure, we get along pretty well despite the shi- messy situation we find ourselves in," Adam corrected what he thought about the situation they found themselves in. He didn't want the voice nagging him now that it was a little serious after his discussion with the dark voice.

"Then, did the Bronya make a miscalculation?" She moved her eyes back to Mei. "Y-Yes Bronya-chan," Mei cleared after composing herself. "To be precise, the three of us met a couple of days ago."

"_And what a way we met,"_ Adam thought sarcastically. He tried to not snort at the memory of the Herrscher's bitchy attitude. "Yeah, we are just survivors who get along pretty well," he added. "Understood," Bronya acknowledged and gave back her full attention to the chocolate bar she was previously eating. Mei looked at him shyly and turned away a bit. Adam wasn't offended at this. _"Guess girls are a bit sensitive to this kind of thing, eh?"_ Adam shrugged and went back to eat. A semi-comfortable silence settled on the train. Adam thanked for it. He opened his bottle of water and started to drink it. Although the misunderstanding was cleared, there was still one person who had a doubt.

"So, seeing Mei-senpai half-naked was like a one-night-stand, Adam?"

The two persons in question choked.

* * *

After a long and uncomfortable ride on the train, the three prepared their gear as the train was getting near the last station of the line. Mei and Kiana sported gun holsters and short bags from their hips, courtesy from Bronya. She told Adam he will be carrying other times like water bottles, ammo, a med-kit she had in her possession and as much food as possible inside a big back-pack. It weighted a lot but Adam managed to carry it without much trouble.

"Say, Mei, are we close to getting out of the city?" Adam asked, trying to fake that the last twenty minutes inside the train did not happen. "Unfortunately no, Adam-kun," like him she tried to play it cool. Adam inwardly cursed. _"Another day inside this hole," _he thought in exasperation.

"Oh!" Kiana raised her voice. "I know this place." She sported puffy cheeks, courtesy from a very embarrassed Mei pulling them. "I work, well, I used to work around here," she said while rubbing her hurt cheeks.

"Then you could be our guide this time Kiana," he looked to Mei. "If it is not a problem with you?" Mei shook her head. "I have a general idea, but I did not use to walk around here," she looked at Kiana. "Kiana-chan, would you mind leading us this time?" She asked politely while giving a small smile. Kiana's cheeks reddened a bit, although it wasn't noticeable for her swollen cheeks. She nodded. "No problem, Mei-senpai!" Kiana answered chirpily. Mei's smile got larger.

"Subject Adam, you seem to be used to these kinds of scenarios," Bronya commented. "Have subject Adam ever been in a Honkai outbreak?" She asked. Adam turned to see her. "What brought this up, Bronya?" He tried to not let the comments from the dark voice to get him, but now he started to worry. _"The timing and how she welcomed us with almost open arms to her transport and food. Not to mention the strange robot with her." _Her look was on him, expecting him to answer her.

"I have been traveling around the world for some time," his voice was calm while he explained. The train started to slow down as an electronic voice announced that this was the last station. "I have my share of encounters with the Honkai during that time," he explained. "What about you Bronya? It's strange to see a girl with a big robot looming over her and don't flinch at the sight of a Honkai beast," he asked back. Adam knew that Kiana had a bit of knowledge and combat against the Honkai given who her father was and Mei was dragged to this new world. But Bronya was a mystery. She could have passed as a cute normal girl in the crowd if it wasn't for the big robot and how she reacted towards the zombies and beasts from the Honkai.

"The Bronya comes from Siberia, Russia," she disclosed. Her tone was even but he caught the sharpness way she said it. She was uncomfortable. Adam flinched a bit. He had seen first-hand what the Siberian Tundra offered to the majority of children born after the Second Impact. "Sorry," he meant it. _"Shit!"_ He cursed.

"There is no need to apologize," she moved her eyes to the door. "The Bronya has moved out from there and had been planning to start anew." She touched her blue earrings. Trying to change the topic he asked about them. "They are beautiful, Bronya. Who gave them to you?" he asked.

"My mamushka gave them to me, as a parting gift," the yearning and melancholy in her tone made Adam curse again. _"Damn it, Adam! Why don't you just ask her if she was a child soldier already, idiot?!"_ The other girls watched the exchange in silence. Mei felt bad for Bronya, she knew first-hand how feels to not have a mother around. Her mother had died while she was still a little girl, but the few memories Mei had about her, she treasured them with all her heart. Kiana tried to bury the known oppressive feeling inside her heart by smiling and imagining how Mei's cook may taste. _"There is nothing good going there,"_ she thought.

The train stopped and the door opened. There were no zombies to welcome them. They sighed in relief.

"As we did previously, Kiana you lead. Mei and Bronya will cover your sides while I stay in the back," he ordered. He knew that the planning wasn't good at all. Bronya's robot, Project Bunny, looked more suited to be on the rearguard and offer support, but he wasn't planning on putting a child on the group's back. He could be pragmatic, even cold when the situation called for it; but he wasn't heartless to leave a child die in front of his eyes and he wasn't going to take risks despite Bronya has proven she has survived this long on her own.

"Are you sure about carrying the back-pack Adam? It looks really heavy," Kiana asked. He nodded "It's no problem. Remember that I have a boost of my own and I can kill the zombies using my sword," He took Omen with his right hand. Mei made sure that her shotgun was loaded and ready to fire; Kiana did the same with her guns and Bronya summoned Project Bunny, who sported its large lance on its left arm.

"Let's go girls!"

* * *

The game center was too quiet for his taste. There were the occasional sounds of game overs and promotional cut scenes coming from the different consoles scattered in the game center, but strangely there was no noise of teenagers nagging about losing against a boss or the complaints about running out of money.

Well, at least it was silent to let him had his full concentration in this stupid claw machine game. He absolutely wanted to win the limited edition figure of Ninja Arahato! It didn't matter if he was going to spend thousands in coins, Arahato would be his!

"Dear, are you actually going to spend thousands in coins for this game?" Her voice made him freeze. He released the joystick. His right hand fell lifeless while his left stayed on the console.

He… he stood there, not moving. He didn't dare to move.

"Are you ignoring me, dear?" she asked, her voice sounded sad. He almost moved on reflex at hearing her sad voice, but he managed to control himself in the last second.

"_Don't look,"_ he chided to himself. _"Don't. Look."_ His breath started to accelerate as he felt her warm and delicate fingers touching his left hand. There was a soft fragrance of flowers wafting around her. He lowered his head, looking directly at the machine's timer, seeing that he only had ten seconds left. He did not care when the sound of 'game over' came.

"Siegfried, I believe it's time to go home, don't you think?" She asked nicely as she hugged him. It cost him a monumental effort to no lose himself in the warmness her hug gave and drunk in the flower fragrance. "Our baby girl must be missing us. Come on, dear," She ended the hug and spanned on her feet while still holding his left hand. Siegfried released his hand from hers.

"Is everything alright, dear?"

"_DON'T LOOK."_

"Siegfried, a-are you m-mad at me?" She stuttered.

_DO NOT. LOOK!_

"S-Siegfried…" they were no longer on that game center where they spend a great time many years ago. It was snowing. They were in a tundra wasteland. Snow as far as the eye can see.

"Dear…I am so cold…" her voice was a whisper. "Can you… can you hug me…?" There was smoke rising in the distance. He heard powerful whistles coming from above them.

"Siegfried…" there was a powerful explosion that slowly enveloped the cold lifeless tundra in a furious fire.

_DO NOT LOOK!_

From the left corner of his eyes, he saw the destructive fire coming slowly on their way. From his right corner, there was a long and beautiful silver hair fluttering.

"Siegfried, why did you leave our Kiana alone?"

_DO NOT-!_

He looked to his right, only to see he was holding a severed arm with his right and bluish-mutated hand.

And the fire reached him and then…

_There was nothing left…_

"AAAAHHHHHHH!" Siegfried woke up shrieking. He shot up and almost fell in the calm and night cold ocean, but he managed to catch his foot on the last second. He was breathing heavily. There was a folding canvas chair tossed to the back and a semi-full can of beer, its contents spilled on the floor. Siegfried fell to his knees as he kept his forehead leaning against the boat railing. "I-it was a nightmare man. Just a fucking and horrible nightmare," he sneezed a bit. "Get a hold of yourself," he screeched to himself as he continued breathing heavily.

"_-time to go home, dear,"_ Siegfried shook his head vigorously. "No. Don't go there, Siegfried," he whispered harshly. He tried to distract himself by hearing the movement of the water. He kept his head glued to the railing. He stayed in this position for almost ten minutes before his cellphone started to ring. Reluctantly he got up and answered the call.

"Yes?"

"Are you alright, Siegfried?" Hestia asked concerned. "Y-yeah!" He cursed at his stutter. "Yeah, I am fine," he cleaned with the sleeve of his coat the salty water on his cheeks. Stupid Ocean!

"I detected a sudden change in your… –never mind- the package I told you about will arrive in a few minutes." She started to explain.

"Pay attention. Once it arrives, quickly, get closer to it. There is going to be a long lid with a yellow triangle on its top. Take away the tape. Inside, there would be a lot of small rectangles glowing in orange. You are going to press gently the rectangle on the third column and eighth row. It will pop out and show a small data drive. Carefully took it out. When you are done, you will press the rectangle on the tenth column and five-row. It will show you a holographic screen. Insert the following numbers: 15-78-55-46-21. The keyword for confirmation is MIRAGE.

You will have thirty seconds before the package terminates itself. Get away from it at maximum speed. Don't forget to activate the anti-scan-disruption field on the boat. The option is on your navigation screen," Hestia finished explaining. Siegfried blinked a couple of times, trying to process what Hestia explained a little too quickly for him.

"Hestia, would you mind ex-"

"This is serious, Siegfried. All the work that we have done until this moment could be destroyed before the end of the week if you don't get the package quickly," Hestia did not let him finish. "Take this _fucking_ seriously. I will repeat only once," she said harshly. Siegfried obeyed and listened carefully to Hestia's instructions. Inwardly Siegfried was worried. There had been rare occasions where Hestia sounded serious, and this one sounded more than just serious. _"She sounds dead-worried, almost panicking,"_ Siegfried thought.

"Did you get it this time?"

"Yeah," Siegfried nodded although she couldn't see him. "And what I am expecting, a big and long crate transported by an airplane, throwing it in the middle of nowhere?" He asked sarcastically. Hestia chuckled. "Oh! No. Nothing of that." Siegfried heard a powerful whistle as a large and round object fell from the sky in flames. It fell on the distance, creating a thundering sound as it hit the mass of water. Siegfried held tightly to the leaning as the boat rocked strongly. He almost crushed his phone unconsciously.

"It's just a war satellite, Siegfried, that's all," Hestia explained like it was normal. For his part, Siegfried's mouth was hanging open. "Come on, Siegfried. Time to work~!" Hestia finished the call. It took five seconds for Siegfried to snap of it and drive the boat towards the satellite.

"_Holy shit! Do we have a war satellite?!"_

* * *

Adam cursed in silence at seeing a big damn horde of zombies, with the occasional Honkai beast moving through the streets towards a gas station, or what was left of it. To the record, it was his idea to set the place on fire. He trusted the explosion would attract the zombies, cleaning the streets and making easier to move on them. The girls were not much convinced with his idea. Mei didn't feel right to set the place on fire, also scared for the big explosion it would happen.

Kiana thought the idea was silly but found it amazing when the whole place exploded. Mei made sure that she didn't voice her astonishment by putting a hand on the silver-haired girl's mouth. Kiana's face became a little red, but Adam attributed it to a trick of the light. Bronya at first refused the idea when he suggested it. The reason was a big pack of comics from the Homu series in offer. Adam almost voiced the absurd reason to not blow the place but decided to keep it to himself. He had seen first-hand what a drunk and hungry Siegfried could do and other quirk experiences with other people he had met on his journey. Her reason was the most normal he ever heard.

He suggested taking the merchandise but Bronya negated. According to her, Homu was sacred and it would be atrocious to steal its merchandise. Fortunately, Adam had a couple of bills that miraculously paid the exact amount for the pack of comics. The group left the soon-to-blow-up station behind with Bronya humming a song while carrying the comics, Mei making a short pray for forgiveness and Kiana munching a candy as Adam made a long path of gasoline before throwing a ball of paper set on fire, courtesy from Project Bunny, from a long distance. Instantly, the four moved to one of the loneliest streets. They kept the close encounters at minimum, opting to run and hide. Hiding was no longer an option as the number of zombies started to increase.

"Move!" Kiana screamed as she and Mei shoot to some zombies on their way. "Since you are already dead, move!" Screamed Kiana as Adam cut off the head of a zombie trying to catch him from behind. They kept moving until a big Chariot came tearing apart a building on their way. Debris flew around as it made way towards them. Instantly, Kiana and Mei shot at it, hoping to at least stall it. It did little to no damage as it lunged at them with its front legs. The girls jumped back and avoided its smashing.

"Tch!" Kiana clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Adam, we have a problem here!"

"I am a bit busy!" He screamed back as he cut a zombie diagonally and blow the head of one using his free hand. He noted that Bronya was no longer with them. "Kiana! Where the hell is Bronya?!" He asked worried for the little girl.

"I don't know!" She screamed back as she and Mei jumped to the side, avoiding again the attack from the Chariot. Adam cursed. He was about to call out his claws when he heard a voice coming from above the chariot.

"Deploying, Project Bunny," she pronounced as she fell, parallel to the building. The futuristic robot materialized and pointed its spear towards the Chariot. The impact was strong enough to rise a cloud of dust and push some cars around them as Bronya killed the beast. Adam killed the last zombie on their tale before moving towards the girls.

"Total enemy elimination," Bronya pronounced as Project Bunny disappeared. Bronya put her hand inside her coat and took out a doll of Homu. Adam wasn't sure where she kept that well hidden. Bronya inspected the doll and patted a stain of dust from it. "Mission complete," she stated. Mei got closer to Bronya and gave her a gentle pat on her shoulder.

"Right on time Bronya! Thank you!" Mei congratulated her. Bronya gave a soft hum in response.

"What the hell? You can just show up from nowhere with your robot?!" Kiana complained putting her hands on her hips. "You almost killed me stupid brat!" Bronya and Mei glanced at her. "Ending the protection routine for subject Kiana. Now the subject is deemed expendable."

"Oh! You little-!" Mei held Kiana. Bronya saw it as a challenge. "The Bronya has 99.99% possibilities of winning." Kiana bristled. "Grrr! And I have 100% chances of beating you!"

Adam felt relief at seeing Bronya safe. _**"{Remember she is dangerous, Adam,}"**_ it said before falling silent. Adam ignored it.

"Hey, Bronya! Tell us when you are going to do something like that again," the girls moved their eyes to Adam. "You got me worried for a second there." He saw what little of the Chariot remained. "Still, good work. You saved them, Bronya," he congratulated her.

"Dah." She responded. "You are just useful because of the big robot!" Kiana kept complaining. Adam sighed in resignation as the two kept insulting each other. He saw Mei walking to the Honkai remains.

"_Why these things keep appearing?"_ She questioned. _"With the… with her sleeping, I thought that the beasts would stop appearing."_ She bit her lip in anxiety. _"How much time do we have left before these zombies and beasts overwhelm us,"_ she didn't hear Adam's steps until he was next to her. "Are you okay?" He asked. Mei jumped a bit at his sudden appearance. She turned to see him. "Sorry, I was in deep thought," she looked back to the carcass. "I was wondering why these beasts keep coming. They are difficult to kill." Adam nodded at her. "With the Herrscher contained, the residual energy keeps moving on freely in the city, making appear more of these beasts," he understood her preoccupation. "I don't want to jinx it, but we had been lucky that we hadn't met with an Emperor Class," he wished that was not going to happen.

Meir raised a brow. "They are that hard?" Adam nodded. "Powerful but not at the same level as a Herrscher." He responded. "That's why I am so eager to leave this place as soon as possible."

"I see…"

Bronya glanced at the pair while Kiana kept rambling. She noted the cut on Mei's left arm. "Subject Mei is injured." Kiana stopped speaking and moved her eyes towards Mei. She saw the cut too.

"Ah! Mei-senpai. The tiny girl is right," she pointed to the cut. Mei raised the arm in question and saw the injury. "Oh! I am fine! It's just a little scratch," she waved off the injury. "Let me see it." Kiana walked towards Mei, grabbing gently her arm. Mei was surprised at the action. Kiana inspected quickly the injury and in fact, it was just a scratch. "It's nothing, but I better take care of it," and to Mei's rising surprise, Kiana brought closer her arm and tried to wipe clean the injury with her tongue. Mei was about to squeal until Adam stopped Kiana from licking the cut by holding softly her head.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Kiana." She pouted. "Don't be mean, Adam! I was just trying to help!" Kiana fumed as she crossed her arms. Adam made a deadpanned expression. "Do you know that thousands of germs live on our mouths, Kiana?" He asked rhetorically. "One of them could enter on Mei's bloodstream and give her an infection," he put the back-pack on the ground and opened it. He quickly searched for the med-kit. He found it and brought it out. He took out the need material to clean and patch the cut. Mei insisted that she was fine, but Adam was not having any of it.

"Don't worry Adam! It's just a scratch!" She insisted. He shook his head. He grabbed her arm firmly but gently. "It would be really bad if you get sick for something silly like this," he explained. The girls stared at him as he worked quickly and silently. Mei flinched a bit as the alcohol touched the cut. In a minute he was done.

"There," he said as he saved the materials. He put back the med-kit in its place. "It would heal in no time," he put the back-pack on his back. He noted that the girls kept staring at him.

"What?"

"Nothing. It's just… that was gentle from you, Adam. A bit forceful, but still, thank you," Mei blushed a bit as she stared at the bandage. Adam felt uncomfortable at her honest gratitude. He knew that she was grateful for his action, although he didn't just patch her out of concern. _"I don't know how Kiana's body would react if the blood of a Herrscher's vessel entered in her. You need to be a little more cautious, Kiana,"_ he thought darkly. "You are welcome, Mei." He smiled back. It looked real, although Bronya narrowed her eyes. The others didn't see her. He looked towards Kiana, who had a dejected look and sat on the ground.

"I troubled Mei-senpai…" she muttered while hugging her legs close to her chest. Mei chuckled nervously, Bronya shrugged and Adam sighed.

* * *

The group kept walking for almost three hours. Seeing that the sun was close to setting, the group decided to call it a day. Thanks to the scan of Bronya, the group found a deserted building. They blocked the main entrance and the stairs to the upper levels with whatever furniture available. They chose one of the big apartments to sleep in. They were glad the water and electricity were still running.

"Man, I am beaten!" Exclaimed Kiana as she sat comfortably on the long couch in the living room. The whole place was big. Three bedrooms, a large kitchen separated from the main room with a service bar, a spacious terrace and a big bathroom that even had a Jacuzzi!

"The Bronya finds it a waste of space," Bronya commented as she sat next to Kiana. "Of course you will have to spoil it, midget," Kiana buffed at Bronya's observation.

"The Bronya finds more saddening the fact Idiotka belongs to the human species."

"Midget, say what?!" Mei sighed at seeing the two girls clashing. She was seated on one of the chairs of the table that was in the living room. She moved her head towards the terrace, where she saw Adam smoking. She frowned a bit at that. She didn't like the smell the cigars left and she knew how bad they were for the health. She didn't voice her displeasure when Adam said that he was going to smoke outside. She left him had it, after all, it has been a long day, for all of them.

_**Grow!**_

Mei moved her head quickly towards the noise origin. Kiana was standing, looming over Bronya, who kept a poker face. On the contrary, Kiana had a big blush on her face. She sat quietly and looked down.

"Kiana-chan, are you-?"

Adam entered hurriedly with Omen in hand. "I heard a growl, I think you missed some hidden beast, Bronya." Kiana covered her face with both hands. Mei felt a bit bad for her.

"Negative, subject Adam," then Bronya pointed towards the embarrassed Kiana. "The Idiotka stomach noises are so high that they can be mistaken by a Honkai beast."

"Ahh…" Adam looked awkwardly at Kiana. "Well… crap" He scratched his neck as he saved Omen. Mei decided to save the situation before it could become more embarrassing. She clapped her hands to get their attention. "How about we take a bath before I make dinner?" The three looked at her surprised.

"Sure, Mei? It has been a very long day." Adam asked for courtesy. He admitted he was hungry but he was not going to pressure her. _"Celeste would have torn my ear off if I didn't ask first."_ He thought, remembering her sister's education about 'how to be polite towards girls'.

"Finally! Real food!" Kiana chirped, forgetting her previous embarrassment. "Subject Kiana has been eating snacks all the way here though," Bronya added but Kiana ignored her.

"Well, I think there are a washing machine and a dryer in the changing room." He pointed. He cringed a bit at the sight of his clothes. They were stained with a lot of blood and other fluids from the zombies. Adam wasn't surprised at this, after all, he was the one who got closer to the zombies when he was fighting. The girls had few stains compared to him. At least their clothes were savable, his not.

The girls started to move towards the bath, but Mei noted that Bronya wasn't moving from her place. Mei raised a brow. "Bronya-chan, are you coming?"

"Nyet," she shook her head. "The Bronya is almost in perfect condition," she explained. Mei wasn't convinced at all. She looked at Bronya's clothes and while true to her stamen, there were few blood stains on them. Mei didn't think it was hygienic to keep wearing clothes stained on blood. "Come on Bronya chan, I would help you clean your back," Mei offered. "Would you help me too, Mei-senpai?" Kiana asked, excited. Mei didn't find a problem with it. She nodded.

"The Bronya thanks subject Mei for her offer, but the Bronya is alright," Bronya negated her offer. Adam decided to help Mei in convincing Bronya. "Hey Bronya, I can watch over while you three relax for a moment. You deserve it." Bronya pondered before shaking her head. "I am alright, the Bronya doesn't smell so bad." Adam found odd her insistence to not bath with them. He tried to convince her too. He would hate to smell the constant stench of corpse next to him the following day and it was unhygienic to have contaminated blood on your body.

"Bronya, I have been drenched in zombie blood before, and believe me when I say you will stink the same if not worse than a corpse," she shook her head again. Mei looked worried for her. "Are you sure?" Bronya nodded. "If Bronya doesn't want it then it means more time for me with Mei-senpai. Yay!" Kiana grinned as she jumped towards the bath. Before she entered, she turned and gazed at Adam. "No peeking!" She yelled before closing the door. Adam sighed annoyed and glanced at Bronya.

"_{Try to say something else, you know how terrible stinks the blood of zombie is.}" _The voice mentioned.

"_I know, but it will look creepy if I keep trying to convince a young girl to take a bath,"_ he answered back.

"_**{Then, how about using something against her,}"**_ Adam was about to ignore the other voice until it said its suggestion. _**"{Tell her that she owes you a favor for those dumb comics you paid for. Politeness is a good way to force someone to do what you want.}" **_Quickly, the other voice added. _"{Or maybe, say that Mei only worries about her and doesn't want her to catch an infection.}"_ _**"{And use her help from the train to make her bath with the other girls.}"**_

Adam pondered for a moment before reaching another question.

"_Why are you helping me with this again?"_

"_{Because it's unhealthy to have zombie blood on your clothes and I am here to help you.}"_

"_**{Because it will stink tomorrow and I like to imagine what will happen inside the bath. Also, I am here to help you}."**_

Adam rolled his eyes. _"You two are an annoyance and fuck! I bet Bronya is just twelve or thirteen years old!" _The voice sassed,_** "{but you didn't make an exception for the other two!}"**_

He ignored off the voices and came back to reality. "Well, if you say so Bronya," Mei was kneeling in front of Bronya. Mei reluctantly accepted her decision. Seeing the window of opportunity was about to close, Adam applied the voices suggestion.

"Hey Bronya, maybe Mei and I are pushing too much for you to take a bath," he began. "Aside from how unhealthy is to have blood on you, Mei and I just want to pay you back for all your generosity with the train, the food and for killing the Chariots. I know that in Russia, generosity has to be paid back. Isn't it?" Adam finished.

Mei nodded. "Adam-kun is right. Bronya has been too gentle with us. I would feel bad if I do not at least pay you back for your generosity, Bronya-chan." The dark-silver-haired girl looked a bit conflicted, pondering her options and a bit mad at Adam for using her generosity against her in a smooth way.

"_Subject Adam categorized as manipulative. The Bronya will have to watch him out,"_ she concluded. She looked at the warm and soft expression of Mei, making hard to say her no. Reluctantly, Bronya accepted. "The Bronya accepts subject Mei's offer." Mei smiled and take her by the hand. Mei guided happily Bronya towards the bathroom. Before they disappeared, Bronya threw him a glare. He just waved his hand casually. "Have a nice bath!" He smiled as the door closed.

* * *

"Ahhh~" Kiana closed her eyes and moaned in pleasure as her body submerged in the hot water of the Jacuzzi. The whole bath-room was clouded in steam due to the hot water, but it wasn't a problem for the girls to move. She started to doze off while Mei finished cleaning herself. Once she was done rinsing her hair, she turned to Bronya to help her. She didn't ask why Bronya entered with her armor on her legs. She attributed it as childish behavior.

"Sorry for the delay," she smiled feeling embarrassed. "I needed to clean off all the blood on my hair from all the blood and dust." Mei dragged one of the short benches inside the bath-room. "Shall we start?" Mei asked gently. Bronya kept staring at the bench for a moment before she nodded timidly. Bronya moved almost mechanically. _"Maybe she is just embarrassed,"_ thought Mei. She damped Bronya's hair and applied some shampoo on it. Bronya was silent as Mei washed her hair softly.

"Alright Bronya-chan, now I am going to start with your back." Bronya just nodded. Mei raised the handheld shower. "Tell me if the water is too hot, okay?" Bronya nodded again. Mei dampened her back. Bronya shuddered a bit. Mei stopped. "Was it too hot?" She was worried. "No. The Bronya was a bit surprised at the temperature, that's all." Bronya assured her. "You can continue."

Thinking that maybe the water was too hot, Mei turned a bit cold. She started to apply the liquid soap on Bronya's back and washed it gently. As her hands moved to her lower back, Mei noted Bronya was tensing her body. When her hand touched her right side near her waist, Bronya released a soft moan. Mei smiled. "See Bronya-chan, you needed to take a -" Mei word's died on her mouth as the steam cleared a bit and she found what she exactly she touched.

It was a big and angry scar on Bronya's back. It wasn't the only one. The majority lower of her back was covered in small scars. They appeared to be made by cuts. Some were faded. Mei was sure the larger one was made by a bullet given its size and the marks at the edges. The revelation that a young and cute girl like Bronya had such marks on her body prevented her from gasping.

"_H-How in the world she got these scars!?"_ Then, she remembered what Adam told her about the Impacts and what Bronya said to him when they were about to leave the train. She caught when he flinched after he was told where she came from. She knew from her textbooks and the news that the Siberian Region became a conflict zone after the entire region was bombarded by the sudden fall from 'meteorites'. There were many coverages about refugees, warlords and child soldiers.

"_W-was Bronya-chan… a child soldier?"_ She bit her lips in distress. _"So this is why she didn't want to enter with us."_

"Subject Mei, is everything all right?" Bronya turned her head. It took Mei a great effort to hide her worry with a smile and continue washing her back. "No Bronya-chan, I was just thinking that you have very pretty skin." Bronya kept her gaze for a moment before looking forward again. "The Bronya's accepts the compliments." Mei finished rubbing her back and rinsed with great care Bronya´s back.

"_She said that she was going to start anew,"_ Mei saddened for her. _"And whose fault was that?"_ Mei flinched when she heard for a moment her _inward companion_. Before she understood what she was doing, she hugged tightly Bronya. The little girl flinched, surprised at the older girl's sudden action. "Subject Mei?" She asked. Mei didn't respond. She just kept there, hugging her.

"Subject…?"

"Hey Bronya-chan, tell me, did you have relatives living in the city?" Mei whispered in her ear. Bronya noted her voice was tense. "No. The Bronya was in this city thanks to a friend from Mamushka's," She answered. "Mother… was all the Bronya had before coming here…" Bronya spoke in a low volume.

"If you don't have anyone, would you mind coming to live with me?" Mei asked softly as Bronya's eyes went wide. "I know that loneliness is hard Bronya. And I-" _"Crushed your opportunity before you even began…" _"-will feel better knowing that you are safe."

"_Mostly, you will try to atone by adopting the brat like a pet?"_ Mei trembled when she heard **her** voice again.

Noting her distress, Bronya put her hands on Mei's. "The Bronya…" she opened her mouth to say something, but Mei's words stopped her brain to formulate the words. _"The Bronya's emotional centers… are overloading…"_

"The Bronya-!"

"Mei-senpai! You promised to clean my back!"

"Kiana-chan, don't run inside the bath!"

"KYAAHH!"

_**SPLASH!**_

* * *

While the girls bathed, Adam made a quick tour inside the rooms to search for some clothes that may fit him. He found them and left them on a chair in the living room. He waited outside in the terrace sitting on the floor, smoking his cigarettes while time passed. He left the crystal door ajar to hear in the case the zombies breached the main entrance to the building. He heard some cries and Mei scolding Kiana about something. He didn't want to think about what was happening inside. It couldn't be good for his mental health.

"_**{Pussy.}"**_

"_Fuck off."_

It took around an hour for the girls to be done. Adam didn't have a problem with it. The day had been long and tiring, so taking a long bath to wash off your worries was good in his book. The bathroom's door opened and a vapor cloud left the place. The girls emerged from the bath wearing their clothes dry and clean from zombie fluids. Adam tried to ignore how their clothes stick to their bodies due to the steam from the bath.

"_**{Seriously? You are having a free show, and instead, you try to be a gentleman!"}**_

"_{Cousin Katherine would have pocked our eyes out.}_

"_**{Can't object to it. She threatened us whenever her voluptuous friends visited home.}**_

Adam threw the cigar off the terrace as he got up. He entered and closed the door behind him. "You three look better. Was the bath good?" He noted that Kiana had a big bump on her head. "It was a nice cleaning until Idiotka ruined it," answered Bronya. She glared at Kiana. "Want me to drown you in the Jacuzzi, brat?!" Kiana challenged. "Enough! If you don't behave, none of you will have dinner," Mei interrupted before the two fought again. That made the trick. The girls closed their mouths though they kept their glares on each other.

"Well, if you don't mind, I am going to take a quick shower before dinner." He informed. "Okay, Adam-kun. Dinner will be ready soon." Adam nodded as he walked to the chair where he left the clothes and moved towards the bathroom. Adam was so centered on getting clean quickly that he didn't close the door completely. He left his coat and harnesses with his weapons hanging from a perch in the changing room. His bloody clothes were thrown in the trash bin. Adam was tempted to use the Jacuzzi, but he was really hungry and he wouldn't fully relax knowing that he was deep inside of a zombie city.

It took Adam around twenty minutes to clean himself. He was glad, it has been almost two days since he took a shower. Adam wondered if the girls noted the smell and didn't comment about it. He winced a bit when the hot water touched his left hand, the one hurt by Omen. The hole was already healed. It closed when he was unconscious, but it was still a bit sensitive. Adam saw the Jacuzzi was still full. He guessed the girls left it thinking that he would take a dip in it. He emptied it and thanked them mentally for the gesture. He went back to the changing room and started to dry his body. Turning his back to the door, Adam was drying his head when he heard someone knocking on the door.

_**KNOCK! KNOCK!**_

"Yes?" He stopped moving the towel. "It's Kiana. Mei-senpai says if you want something specific for dinner?" Kiana asked behind the door. Her voice sounded clearer despite the door was in the way. He pondered the question. "If it isn't much trouble, a great portion of meat will be good," he responded as he resumed drying his hair. "Fine. I will tell her." Adam kept drying his hair until he shuddered when he felt a cold blow of air hitting his back. _"Did I leave the door opened?"_ He turned his head, and in fact, he left it open. He saw the door was open, giving almost a full view of the changing room. He was glad that Kiana didn't see him in all his naked glory. _"That would have made dinner incredibly awkward." _He went to the door and closed it fully. Five minutes later, Adam came out, sporting a pair of blue jeans and a red t-shirt. He kept his old boots and his black jacket.

"Are you done Adam-kun?" Mei asked. She and the rest of the girls were already seated on the table. There were plates already served with dinner. His mouth began to salivate by smelling the delight he was going to have for dinner. He took a seat and looked at his plate. It was Orange Chicken with sesame seeds on top. The other girls shared the same meal as him, although his plate had a bit of more chicken in it.

"Sorry if it is so simple," Mei apologized. "There weren't many ingredients in the fridge, so this is everything I could do for now." She gave a short bow.

"Don't worry Mei-senpai! It smells delicious."

"The Bronya doesn't find a problem with it."

"It smells good and it's better than eating nothing."

Mei was relieved that the three didn't have a problem with the food. She sat between Kiana and Adam. "Ittadakimasu!" She joined her hands as she said this. Kiana imitated her. Bronya and Adam followed the display, though they made it clumsily. As soon as they put a piece of chicken in their mouths, the three stopped simultaneously. They stayed like that for many seconds. It worried Mei. "I-is it not to your taste?" She asked nervously. She didn't imagine their following reaction.

"It is glorious!" Kiana cried happily as she started to chew and put more pieces of chicken in her mouth. Bronya's widened. "The Bronya is trying to process this majestic feeling." She stated. She chewed at a slower pace than Kiana, trying to savor deeply the delicious food. "Mei…" She turned to Adam and was surprised at his expression. He was… he was crying tears of joy! He kept eating, not minding the tears. Mei was astonished for their reactions.

"The Bronya is setting subject Mei's security routine at top priority," Bronya stated with a grave face. Adam was the same.

"Mei, I am willing to do whatever it takes to make sure you get out of this city alive as long as I can eat your cooking again!" And Kiana…

"Mei-senpai, marry me!"

After making sure that things didn't get out of control, the group enjoyed their dinner in relative silence.

"The Bronya thanks subject Mei for this delicious meal." Bronya gave a short bow in gratitude for the food. She looked in disgust at Kiana, who cleaned the plate clean with her tongue and fingers. "Kiana-chan, those are terrible manners on the table." Mei scolded her. To her credit, Kiana had the decency to blush and apologize. "S-sorry. It's just… it was delicious Mei-senpai. Thank you very much!" Kiana congratulated her. She wasn't the only one. "You have no idea how good this is Mei. Thank you, I really mean it," Adam nodded at her. Mei couldn't help but blush with how honest their congratulations and appreciation from her companions sounded.

"Y-You are welcome." She stuttered. The others smiled at her reaction, even Bronya, albeit it was a small twitch on her lips. They finished their dinner with a warm cup of tea.

"Now that we have an opportunity to speak in peace, I would like to know a little more about you," Mei spoke putting her cup of tea down. The others, mainly Adam and Bronya raised a brow. "If you are okay with it, of course!" Mei raised her arms in a placating gesture. The former two pondered for a bit. Despite Bronya had a moment with Mei inside the bath, she didn't trust them completely, but she thought that maybe reveling the basics will be okay. Adam followed this similar thought, but he was going to avoid saying too much, specifically as he how he knew about the two organizations who were fighting against the Honkai.

Kiana was the first. She got up while putting her hands on her waist. "Well, you already know my name. I am Kiana Kaslana, fifteen years old. I am a Valkyrie in training and I still learning the gun-taka from my clan. I have been moving around the world searching for my dad to give him a piece of my mind after he left me years ago." She glared shortly to Adam while the girls widened their eyes at the last part. "I transferred to Chiba Academy many months ago after I received a new track about him. My likes are training, eat delicious food, read comics and now, spend time with Mei-senpai." Such senpai in question blushed at the declaration. "I hate do exams and everything that has to do with school. I dream of becoming a powerful warrior to protect the innocents and follow the oath from my clan!" Kiana finished. She sat back.

Mei was next. She raised and cleared her throat. "Hello, my name is Mei Raiden. I am sixteen years old. I have been studying at Chiba Academy for the last two years. I am a practitioner of my clan's sword style. I enjoy rainy days and to play the piano." She smiled nostalgically at the last part. "My main hobby is cooking and I have mastered more than one hundred recipes." The others widened their eyes at the revelation. "I dislike lies and I dream of cleaning my family's name and free my father from prison, who was imprisoned unfairly!" She said with a great conviction. The others nodded at it.

Bronya levitated from her seat. Project Bunny appeared behind her. "Bronya Zaychik, fourteen years old. This is Project Bunny." It waved shortly its hand. "The Bronya came from Siberia. The Bronya was meant to start anew in this city, -Adam caught Mei flinched a bit-, but due to the unexpected circumstances, the Bronya is now fighting with subjects Mei, Adam and the idiotka against the Honkai hostiles. I will be in your care" Bronya finished giving a short bow before sitting back. Project Bunny disappeared. Kiana growled but didn't yell back at her.

"_What a short introduction…"_ the rest thought. The girls moved their eyes to the only male in the group.

Adam took the last of his tea. He got up and waved his hand lazily. "Well, hello everyone. I am Adam Alighieri, eighteen years old. I have been on the road since I was fourteen," Adam recited his 'official' background. "I have been moving from place to place since then. You may call me a 'free agent'. Don't worry, I am not a mercenary, I am more of an errand boy than anything," he chuckled. "I like reading comics, listen to electronic and rock music and have a good fight." He smiled at the last part. "I was on my way to Soukai City to meet someone that may help me to get stronger and control much better my powers. My dreams for the future are to survive and defeat the Honkai, and fulfill my family's last wish." He smiled nostalgically remembering it.

"_{Was it a good idea to tell them about it?}"_

"_**{It could be used against you in the future.}"**_

Adam ignored them and decided to change the topic. "And if you are wondering about my powers…" He raised his hand. The tendrils manifested over it and changed his arm for a claw, for a whipt with sharp edges, and finally into a long blade. The girls saw his already pale face turning whiter and bulging red veins on his face. His eyes turned red and the sclera in black. "I got them two years ago. They give me many boosts although they turn my face horrible and the recoil is terrible when I overuse them." He explained as he deactivated them, coming back to look like a normal human. He noted that they kept staring at him.

He sighed. "I ruined the mood with the transformation, isn't it?" He asked rhetorically. The girls nodded. "Sorry about it." He apologized. He knew that people didn't use to see him like this except for Siegfried and Hestia.

Mei decided to move on. "All in all, everyone had good and noble goals to fulfill." She commented. "Thank you for sharing them and I hope we can fulfill them." She welcomed them. The others expressed their thanks and started to clean the table.

* * *

After (the most delicious) dinner, (in their opinion) and sharing moment; the four decided to go to sleep to start earlier the next day. They agreed to take turns to watch over. His sister indoctrination made Adam to volunteer for the first watch. Mei declined his offer and said that she will take the first watch, she argued that he looked still tired from using his powers. In a way, he couldn't argue against that. A night of sleep and the assurance that he won't have to sleep on edge, it will make Adam recover faster. _"And perhaps use my whips to move faster around." _The turns were; Mei, Kiana, Adam and then Bronya. He tried to negotiate with Bronya that he will take the last watch. She said no and claimed that the early morning was colder. The three said 'goodnight' and went to sleep on the bedrooms as Mei, the first person to watch, took sit on the couch with a steaming cup of coffee.

It wasn't until some hours later that Adam felt a jerk on his shoulder.

"Mmmh? Alright alright Siegfried, I'm getting up," yawned Adam as he got up. Then, the jerk changed for a punch. "What the fuck, old man?! I am awake," he shot up from the bed and glared to Siegfried, or rather, her daughter. Then he remembered where he was. "Kiana? What was that for?!" he whispered angrily, he didn't want to wake up the others unnecessarily. "Living room. Now." She said with a sharp tone as she left the room. He was surprised at her behavior. _"What was that for?"_ He asked to himself. He equipped his stuff and moved to the living room. He saw her sitting on the couch.

He took a seat next to her. On the table were a couple of cups full of coffee and napkins. He guessed one of them were form him. He took a sip and hummed content. "Delicious," he commented. _"It isn't too strong and had a slight chocolate flavor_," he instantly knew who made such a delicious drink. "Ahem," Kiana called his attention. _"Right."_ He put down his cup. "So…" He began. "What was that punch for?" he asked.

"You were slow to wake up. And you made me mad when you said the old man's name." Kiana responded while taking a sip from her cup. He didn't understand what she meant until he remembered what she told him when they were fighting the Herrscher. Adam sighed. He hoped she would forget about her demand until they were out of the city, and remember about it when he was already away.

"Shoot."

"How and when you met the old-man and why did he stick with you?" She asked. Adam noted that he last part she said it bothered. Adam looked towards the ceiling, pondering what and how much he would tell her.

"_{Tell her the truth, but avoid saying what you two have been doing all this time,}"_ it suggested before falling silent. Adam thanked that the other didn't come out and made things difficult.

"Well, to begin, I met your old-man a year and a half ago when I was in Cape Town, South Africa," he began. "I was in a work trying to capture some pirates that had a chest with precious cargo. I was supposed to have a partner, but the damn guy didn't show up. Anyway, I was on the boat knocking them unconscious. Everything was going fine until some idiot decided to use a grenade while all of us were on the boat." He grumped at the memory. "After the explosion, I swam to the coast. I am pissed off that my paycheck went to trash after that stunt. I am raising from the wet sand and then appear an old-man holding a cone of ice-cream to my face.

'Hey, sorry to let you down kid, –Adam imitated badly Siegfried's voice- but there was this old lady that needed a helping hand to lift a heavy piece of furniture on the street.' The man presented himself as my absent partner for the job. 'Would you forgive me?' he asked."

"What did you do?"

"Simple. I smeared the thing on his eyes and punch him on the balls!" He tried to not laugh loudly while remembering Siegfried's funny face as he was bending on the sand, groaning in pain. "Hahaha!" Kiana tried to maintain a serious face but she couldn't and ended up laughing at low volume. He didn't blame her. Adam decided to continue.

"Well after hitting your dad on the jewels, I learned that my… tutor, Hestia, asked him to watch over me while she sorted some stuff out. At first, I was against it. He was an idiot and lazy ass most of the time. And his cooking, sweet merciful death, I can't look at gelatin the same way after one of his cooking attempts," he shuddered, remembering the abomination. He took a sip of his coffee to refresh his throat.

"There were times when I tried to sneak away, but he always found me or made sure that I couldn't leave." He chuckled. "After some time and near-death situations, well, your old-man is someone who you can count on when shit hits and needs to be done; only when he isn't screwing around or ogling at some breasts." He explained. To his surprise, Kiana chuckled, but it wasn't a funny one. It was dry, devoid of any humor.

"I wish I could say the same, Adam." She lowered her head. The cup on her hands protested as she gripped it tightly. "He… living with him was odd," she began. "I don't remember a thing since I had nine, not even my name. He… dad was nice, but, he wasn't the best father, you know. He gave me everything I wanted. Toys, comics, hell, even useless things for a little girl. I would just have to say 'I want this…' and the following days I will have it in the house, but…" She bit her lips and lowered her head more.

"That didn't make me happy. He didn't let me leave the house, he didn't smile or said my name, he spoke the minimum; hell he didn't even celebrate my birthday. I would found him on some corner in the house, passed out drunk while mumbling two names. My mother's and mine," she stopped and took a sip of coffee. Adam knew she was using it to continue without letting the memories drag her down.

She continued. "When he came back from his fights with the Honkai, dad was a mess and I would have to help him parch his injuries. One day, I asked him, 'why do you keep fighting despite you are terrible injured?' I won't ever forget that moment. He…dad chuckled! It was the first time I saw him do that!" Kiana released a little smile. "He answered me, 'I am a Kaslana. My blood boils when I see people attacked by the Honkai.' The passion and the security in his eyes… they hit me deeply. I wanted to become a powerful warrior, just like him. I wanted to become a true Kaslana." Kiana took the rest of her coffee in one sitting. She kept the empty cup in her hands.

"After that day, dad started to teach me the gun-kata techniques from the Kaslana Clan, but he never took me to a fight for two years." While Kiana explained, Adam kept silent, listening attentively to her tale, but thinking about what she was revealing to him.

"_What the hell Siegfried? You were an asshole to your daughter and why did you even teach her your gun-taka if you weren't going to let her fight?"_ He was truly surprised by his coach's behavior.

"On my eleven birthday, dad came back and collapsed on the bed, he was heavily injured. While I watched over him, a message came with an alert about a Honkai beast detected in the zone. Thinking back, what I did was pretty stupid. I took dad's guns and left the house while saying to myself, 'I won't let them hurt my daddy again!'" Kiana frowned.

"But things didn't go my way. I thought that I could take down the Honkai beast with my gun-taka." She tightened her grip, the cup started to present cracks. "When it was about to deal the last blow, dad appeared and saved me while screaming; 'what are you trying to do to my baby-doll?!' When the fight was over, I thought he will be really mad at me." Then, Kiana smiled nostalgically.

"He told me that we were going to celebrate my birthday. He got me a huge cake and tons of gifts. But to me, the best gift was when he gave me my name, Kiana." Her smile got bigger.

"Everything was going great. Dad… he started to act like one. He was really bad at it, but he kept trying his best. He kept training me, we played and laughed together, even I started to visit the little village near our house," her smile died down. The cracked cup was left on the table. "I don't know that happened, but one day I woke up and dad was gone. There was only a cellphone with instructions to live on my own." Kiana said with bitterness. Adam didn't blame her, what Siegfried did was a really shit move. "Since then, I have been trying to track him during these last four years, moving from place to place, only to get nothing." Kiana looked at him. Adam wasn't surprised at her expression at all.

She was biting her lower lip, to the point of drawing blood; her eyes were moistened, but there were not tears falling, she didn't allow it; Adam glimpsed how her knuckles were white from all the force she was clenching her hands.

"And then, you appear and told me that you have been with the damn old-man for more than a year, while I have been following false leads all this fucking time!" Kiana managed to catch her voice in the last second, but it didn't minimize her true display of anger and frustration.

"T-tell me, Adam," she stuttered. "Did he just… did he just dumped me?" Her voice began to break as she spoke. Adam didn't like it one bit. "I know that I can be quite the brat and my cooking is bad, but, did dad leave me behind because…because I was an annoyance?" She sniffed. "Did daddy ever loved me?" She lowered her head as the first tears started to fell. Adam looked away as she cried silently, giving her some sort of privacy.

"_{You should say something to make her feel better,}"_ it suggested. _**"{Physical contact tends to help. A hug may work,"**_ surprisingly, the dark voice didn't start with innuendos.

Despite the suggestions, Adam didn't do any of them. He just sat there, with a neutral expression while looking at the table as Kiana cried out. She kept crying for long minutes before she started to get a hold of herself.

"Sorry," she sniffed. "I… this wasn't how I imagined things were going to be." She was going to grab some napkins to clean herself, but Adam beat her to it and offered some. "Thanks." Adam just nodded. Once done, Kiana left the used papers next to her. _"I will throw them later."_

"Forget what I said. I will find the old-man myself and beat him into a bloody pulp until he explains himself." She cleared her throat. "Sorry for waking you," she apologized. She intended to get up and drink more of Mei's coffee, but a firm hand on her left arm stopped her. "Wait a moment, Kiana. Let me talk now." Kiana didn't want to be near anyone right now. She tried to move, but his grip was strong. "Please stay, there is something you need to know." He pleaded. She doubted for a moment before releasing a resigned sigh. "Okay."

Adam was about to grab a cigarette but changed of opinion before he touched the pack in his jacket. _"Siegfried seriously owes me a ton after this." _He thought while he kept silent. Kiana started to get impatient at Adam's silence. "Are you planning on saying something already?" she asked him. Adam pondered before he inhaled air and spoke.r

"I don't know all the story, but of what few Siegfried told me about and what I learned about the Second Impact, well, the aftermath wasn't cheers and parades. The Siberian region went to hell, believe me, I have been there and Bronya's behavior doesn't surprise me at all, maybe it is a form of coping with her past," Adam cleared his throat. "What I am trying to say is, the fight against the Second Herrscher was brutal. Do you think we have it bad? I read some reports and the old-man told me first-hand how chaotic the epicenter of all the fight was. Hordes after hordes of Honkai beasts besieging the battleground. Many of his companions fell one by one during the fight. Among them was the strongest Valkyrie from Schicksal."

When they were at their last stand, Siegfried told me that with her help, they managed to put an end to the fight and defeat the Herrscher. They fight was won, yeah, but it not only cost Schicksal its strongest Valkyrie, but Siegfried lost his wife as well, Cecilia Shariack, your mother." Kiana's eyes widened with the revelation. _"M-Mom was a Valkyrie?"_

"When he spoke about the past, there is a strange light in his eyes. I would describe it as happiness for the old days when everything used to make sense," he rubbed his face. Talking about things like this made Adam remember things he tried to keep buried. "As far as I know, despite all the flirting he does with women, he had never taken someone to bed since I met him. When he is drunk, he stills says your mom's and your name. I will not try to defend him because by how he left you, in my opinion, he deserves a beating on the balls, but I think the reason he left without you was that things started to get dangerous."

Kiana gritted her teeth as anger started to take over. "So he left me behind because I was weak?" Her tone was bitter. He didn't answer. "You can't be serious?" She grumbled as she clenched her hands more and more. "So he rather had me running on my own than staying with me because it's too dangerous?!" She cried out. Adam looked her straight in the eye His voice was grave. "I don't know if he ever told you but, did you know that he has a bounty on his head?" He asked. "And not a bounty of some thousands, oh no, I am talking about six zeroes, Kiana." She was astonished. He never told her anything about this!

"_Was that why we lived deep in the forest?" _She wondered.

"The details are scarce, but Siegfried was a mess after your mother's death and he pissed off the wrong people. The kind of people with a lot of power in their hands," Adam rubbed his temple as he looked to the ceiling. "When I said death-near situations I am not joking, Kiana. Siegfried and I had had close encounters with mercenaries and assassins while traveling." He grimaced. "You know how strong he is and believe me when I said there have been many times where he almost bled to death" Kiana gaped with horror. Adam felt almost bad for lying about this, but to be honest, Kiana was an innocent and good girl, she wouldn't last long if she got in the underworld affairs and the backstabbing people. Like hell, he was going to let her walk straight into that world.

"_I am surprised that she hasn't gotten in really bad affairs since she has been searching for Siegfried."_

He leaned on the couch "I am not a parent, but I rather have my kid safe and unknown for bounty hunters who will do whatever it takes to kill me."

"So that's why you have so many scars on your back?" Adam was sure his neck almost broke at how abruptly he moved his head towards her. "I saw them when you were changing," she rubbed his arm in embarrassment. "Sorry." She apologized. Adam felt a bit self-conscious about the scars and didn't feel comfortable when they were brought up. Not because he was ashamed of them, rather, he didn't have good memories of how he obtained them. While they weren't made when he traveled with Siegfried, Adam used this as a way to make it clear to her how serious the situation was. Adam exhaled. "I already got some before meeting him, but I got more with him as time passed." Of course, this was also a lie, but Kiana didn't need to know that. He fell silent, allowing Kiana to process all that she just learned.

"Then, was dad only protecting me?" She asked. "I think so." He said. In his opinion, Siegfried's way was shit, but efficient, given that Kiana was still breathing and have not been kidnapped until now "Then…why…why he was so cold towards me?" She whispered the last question, but Adam heard it. He closed his eyes and visualized a tall tree in a meadow, a blue sky with few clouds in it. Covered by the shadow the three provided, there were four people in a picnic, laughing and smiling.

"When you lost something you held dear with all your heart, it's like your universe collapses in front of you and you couldn't do a thing to stop it from happening." He opened his eyes and straightened his back. "I can understand him regarding that. You are not yourself, being a fucking asshole and it may take a literal punch on the face to put yourself together and try to move on." He cleaned a little trash in his left eye.

"_{You revealed too much information, idiot! We told you to help her, not to put her in danger!"}_

_**"{A hug would have done the work, but no, Adam had to empathize to comfort the old man's little girl!}  
**_

Both voices complained and they were right. Adam just revealed, as far as he knew, why Siegfried had abandoned her.

"Kiana," he called her. She looked at him and flinched at the sight. His eyes transformed along with his face. His expression was grave and there was a cold light inside his red-dark orbs. "Promise me, Kiana, that no matter what and no matter who, you will not tell anyone about what we just discussed and stop searching for him. If these people get a glimpse of the relationship you have with him, they will do whatever to bring him out." He raised his hand, offering it to a handshake. "Promise me, as a Kaslana Oath that you will not say a word about this until Siegfried makes sure that you are truly safe."

Kiana looked at his hand and back to his eyes. She was searching for excuses to not stop looking for the old man, but after what Adam told her, she started to reconsider her options. _"And those many scars on his back_…" She released a frustrated sigh. _"So many years wasted…" _She thought.

She took his hand. "Fine. It's taking me a lot to say yes to this Adam." He nodded. He was about to release her hand until she gripped it.

"Kiana?"

"If you ever meet my old-man again, promise me that you will tell him that he better prepare himself because I am going to kick his ass until its flat as an iron board!" Adam laughed. "Hahaha! Count on me, Kiana." He offered a smile as his face went back to normal. The two got up from the couch. "So… are you fine?" He asked. Kiana closed her eyes for a moment as she inhaled deeply. "To be honest, it still sucks that the old-man left me but, as you said, he did it because he was worried for me. Though it doesn't mean I have forgiven him. He still owes me a good explanation." Kiana crossed her arms over her chest. He nodded. _"I helped you, Siegfried, you owe me big time." _He thought.

"I will tell him your message. Promise." He stretched his limbs. "Ah! Well, if you don't mind, I am going back to sleep for a moment before it's my turn." He started to walk towards his room. "Adam?" She called him. He stopped and turned around, and to his surprise, Kiana gave him a huge. Adam went still. "Thank you. For being honest with me." She tightened it a bit and then released him. She looked to the side, there was a small blush on her cheeks. "Well… you are welcome," he turned quickly, so Kiana wouldn't see his uncomfortable face as he walked to his room.

"_I am starting to feel like an asshole for lying and instead receive smiles and hugs from girls." _Adam regretted.

"_{Celeste and Katherine would be kicking your ass if they learned you lied to a pair of girls.}"_

"_**{Yeah, but I think Katherine would punch you and then congratulate you for stopping a girl from getting mixed on the kind of affairs we are in.}"**_

_"{You have a twisted way to solve problems and help people.}"_ It sighed. _"{At least you are regretting it, right}"_

"_They will skin me in the afterlife if I don't."_

Adam was about to enter his room, but a sudden chill stopped him on his tracks.

_**THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!**_

The whole place started to tremble, waking the other girls up. Mei and Bronya left their rooms rapidly.

"Guys!" Mei called for them. "Are you-?"

"EVERYONE OUT!"

Adam screamed before the whole building was cut in two by a gigantic sword.

* * *

"You are joking."

"I wish I am, Himeko," said the other person at the other end of the line. Their voice sounded childish. "Our scientists checked it out three times and grandpa just made it official."

"Still, why do I have to take care of this," Murata Himeko, Major and Commander of 5th Valkyrie Squad Platoon, remarked listlessly. "You could drop some of the S class Valkyries. You know, the maid or Durandal?"

"Because as your boss and the cutest on the world, I say so!" the young person on the other side raised her voice a little. "Himeko, the other commanders from the other branches want to launch Fission Missiles at short scale to take out the Third Herrscher. I won't allow it!"

Himeko shifted her weight off her left hip onto her right. Her red and black themed cocktail dress moved along with her. "And what's the problem with it?" She asked. While the Second Impact on Siberia and Russia left a deep scar on the people and history, it was the better option than having the Herrscher wipe out humanity.

"Don't get me wrong Teri, I know that what happened in Siberia it's personal to you, but I don't see why I should go to an already dead city." She saw in the distance a blond-haired young man, who moments before was trying to flirt with her in a 'cool gentleman' attitude, asking for a couple of drinks at the bar. She hated these formal parties. _"A couple of drinks, a gentleman or playboy attitude and they think that they would get lucky."_ She huffed.

Teri or rather, Theresa Apocalypse, commander of the Far East branch of Schicksal was quiet. Himeko knew that Theresa was anxious and perhaps angry. Himeko knew how much Theresa avoided talking about the Second Impact.

"I am sorry, Teri," Himeko apologized. "I know that Siberia it's too personal for you. I-"

"No, Himeko," Theresa interrupted. "It's alright. I know that you didn't mean any harm." Theresa sighed. She sounded tired and anxious. "I am calling you, not just because you are the closest Valkyrie in the area, but because…" Theresa went quiet again. Himeko heard Theresa inhaled deeply. She only did that when something was troubling her, not the usual tantrums when she was made fun of her height or childish taste when it came to entertainment.

"Teri?" She lowered her left arm below her breasts as she moved closer her cellphone to her ear.

"Because there is someone really important that is still fighting her way out of the Impact Zone." She whispered. "I made a promise long ago, Himeko. And I will be damned by ghosts before I broke it!" Theresa raised her voice again, this time with a burning conviction in it.

Himeko chuckled shortly. Theresa will always be childish and scared about ghosts despite the situation she can be in.

"Well, at least you called me before I was taken out of this 'super funny party' out of the blue," Himeko faked sadness at the knowledge that she was leaving the event.

"Thank you, Himeko. I will pay you back."

"Really? Then, don't make me come to this shitty parties ever again. I rather watch you fuming while making paperwork."

"If you say, bimbo," Theresa clicked her tongue. "Why grandpa doesn't let me go in these kinds of parties?" She asked herself aloud. No matter how much she asked, the Overseer of Schicksal never allowed her to attend the parties with the investors. She didn't know that it was a den of snakes and sharks.

"Because you are plain as a table," Himeko added mentally. _"And it will pretty fuck up is someone tried to score the night with you."  
_

"Mhm! You are just jealous the people will rather enjoy the night with me instead of an old bimbo like you!" Theresa threw back.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say Teri" Himeko commented. "I will call you once I reach the Herrscher." Then she added. "By the way, when I am going to be picked up?" Himeko asked. Before Theresa could answer, people around started to panic when a futuristic battleship descend from the night sky. The blond-haired young man that carried two glasses and coming on her way fell on his bottom, breaking the glasses and spilling its contents.

"Never mind," Himeko sighed as she hung up the call.

"_Well, at least I got out."_

* * *

"Thank you a lot, Himeko," Theresa breathed a sigh of relief. She leaned her back on the wall, wrinkling the veil of her nun costume. She was a couple of hallways from the conference room with the other commanders from the different branches of Schicksal.

"_And thanks to you too,"_ she added. Since yesterday, the fear was palpable in the conference room and it got worse as the news of the Herrscher's birth was confirmed and the damage it did. Theresa knew that what happened in Siberia left a deep scar on their minds. When the use of Fission Missiles was proposed, she was the only one who was against it. Many voiced their opinions and deployment of S class Valkyries, but none didn't discard the Fission Missiles.

"_Siberia must not be repeated,"_ she bitterly thought. She knew that the aftermath of the Missiles made life harsher for the survivors of the Second Impact.

"Madam Theresa," she turned to her left. A black-haired young woman was wearing a business suit and a visor at the end of the hallway. "The other commanders are waiting for you." Her voice was even.

Theresa straightened. "I am on my way," she said. The young woman nodded and moved towards the conference room. When Theresa was sure that the woman was away, she unlocked her cellphone and opened the e-mail application. She opened an e-mail that came hours before the conference with the other commanders. It alarmed her, not only because this person knew that the Schicksal commanders were discussing the issue about the Herrscher, but about something that she swore to protect years ago.

_From: ****/_

_To: TeriTheCutestInTheEntireWorld!_

_Theme: Promise_

_Her child is inside the Impact Zone, Theresa. You know who I am talking about._

_She has back up and is fighting her way out.  
_

_Make sure the commanders don't do something stupid._

_She will be safe as long as you keep those missiles out of the way. She can get out alive.  
_

_I will contact you again._

_This message is untraceable but it is better if you delete it to keep her safe in case your grandpa tries something._

Theresa looked the message one last time before deleting it.

She didn't know who wrote to her when the disaster in Nagazora began, but whoever was, they knew about Cecilia's child and her actual whereabouts, something that Siegfried didn't tell her whenever he contacted her.

"_I don't' know who you are,"_ she began. _"I am grateful. Really. Because I can keep my promise to her."_ She clenched her fist. A fire emerged in her eyes as she walked towards the conference room. Preparing herself to shot down the insistence to use the damn missiles and gain time for Himeko and her god-daughter.

"_Cecilia,"_ she was in front of the door. _"I will keep her safe, no matter what. I swear it."_

The door slid open and she entered, ready to face paranoid people with great power at their hands.

* * *

**So… did you like it? I hope you did.**

**To make it clear, if there were some doubts at the chat between Adam and Kiana.**

**Adam doesn't know at all why Siegfried did leave Kiana behind, but he knows that if she keeps tracking him, sooner or later, Kiana could get involved in the dangerous affairs of her father. In further chapters, I will put some of these encounters the two had with the bounty hunters Otto set on Siegfried.**

**Yep. Adam had second intentions on some of his actions. As you have seen, his actions are on the behalf of the girls. **

**Leave reviews and comments!**

**And watch out for COVID-19.**

**The people in my country are taking the problem lightly, although it doesn't mean everyone is the same. I am getting bored of staying at home all day and burning my hands for washing them continuously.  
**

**People wash your hands!  
**

**See ya!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Wow! I haven't updated like in three months.**

**Sorry people. Things have been difficult, making it hard to write with low motivation and tired from work.**

**Anyway, the chapter, as you can see, is large. Unlike the previous time, I planned this time to make it longer. Like 12K or 13K words. As you can see, I did more. Why? Things have been difficult and now I barely have the time and energy to write. It's not just being lazy. I leave my work close to night time and from there I have to attend my college and extracurricular activities online. If I don't sleep enough, I am a zombie in my work and my bosses don't find it amusing.**

**Also, I will like to make something clear. I read in one of the reviews that Adam was based on the male character from APHO.**

**To be honest, I based Adam on Tatsuya from Mahōka Kōkō no Rettōsei. I realized too late the similitude to the male character from APHO. It wasn't my intention, but well, it's too late to take it back. Use whatever works better for your visualization of Adam's features.**

**I haven't played the game recently because of work. Goddamnit!**

**Anyway, I won't take more of your time and I hope that you enjoy the chapter.**

**I hope to update the story sooner. These are not empty words, I really mean it.**

**Disclaimer: Honkai Impact 3rd doesn't belong to me, lalalalala...**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Broken furniture, debris, shards of glass…

Everything went in slow motion as the gigantic blade severed in half the apartment. The place started to crumble but that was the last of his worries. He was sure the fall wouldn't kill anyone of them. In midair, the group maneuvered to land safely on the ground. The fall on the pavement was hard, but adrenaline and the instinct to survive blocked most of the pain, except for Bronya, who floated down to the ground.

"What is that?!" Mei screamed as the sword tore apart the remnants of the building. With another swing of the sword, the building fell, lifting a big cloud of dust.

"Hahahahaha…" Adam laughed dryly. "We can't just have a break, huh?" He grabbed out Omen, like him, Kiana drew her guns. "Seems like we can't," Kiana answered his question as she clicked her tongue. The dust cloud started to disperse, revealing the responsible for ruining their night. Mei gasped and Kiana gritted her teeth.

"It's easy, Mei," Adam tightened the sword's handle as the thing turned its one-eyed-head-helmet towards them. It was fifteen meters high. It looked almost like a gigantic human knight if you ignored the inhuman features and strange hems on its borders. It lacked the shield, having a free hand to move. It was a little taller compared to the building they were in before. "That piece of shit it's just a damn Honkai Templar, Emperor Class!" Finishing his sentence, the Honkai beast swung again its sword towards the group.

"SHIT!"

"Deploying Project Bunny!"

With an arm's gesture, Bronya summoned in a blink Project Bunny and, surprisingly, with its lance deflected aside the incoming attack.

_**CLANG! THUMP!**_

The countered sword hit a large building, getting buried until the middle of it. Adam's eyes widened, impressed at the force Project Bunny displayed to deflect the blow. The Templar centered its attention on Project Bunny. "The Bronya setting the hostile at maximum threat level. Proceeding with great caution." The Templar took out its sword from the building like it was nothing.

Adam was about to order his sword to drink, but he thought better of doing it. He understood that a confrontation would be fruitless. He saved Omen. _"No case summoning it. The fucker will chase us until all of us are dead and I doubt it would be of much help here!"_

"Fall back! We don't stand a chance against it," Adam ordered as the Templar brought down its sword.

_**CLANG! THUMP!**_

Again, Project Bunny managed to deflect the hit but it wasn't easy for Bronya, who was sweating and gasping for air. She couldn't be blamed, parrying off an Emperor Class' attack wasn't an easy feat and much less possible for average Valkyries. _"Unless you were __her__…" _Adam remembered a certain Valkyrie to be capable of doing that.

"I don't want to be pessimistic, but it would catch us in no time!" Kiana pointed out. The damn thing looked like the slow-brute type of enemy, but with its large legs, Adam knew that it would reach them in no time if it wanted it. "That only left us with only one option, but I doubt you will like it," Adam said as he concentrated and coldness slowly moved in his body. The Templar pulled free its sword again as Bronya prepared to parry its attack. "Whatever it is just do it!" Kiana screamed as the Templar raised its sword.

Quickly, Adam sprinted at great speed and grabbed Kiana and Mei from their waists, Kiana on his right and Mei on his left, and created a red tendril from his back and grabbed Bronya. The girls yelped at the sudden action.

_**THUMP!**_

Debris flew out as the sword cut deeply in the ground. Adam almost lost his foot but used another tendril to avoid falling. He felt he was carrying dozens of kilograms on his back, then he remembered who he was carrying. "Bronya putt off the robot! Too heavy!" Adam pressed at the great weightiness on his back. Bronya complied and Project Bunny disappeared. "Thank you!" He started to run faster at the lack of weight.

"A-Adam-kun what-!"

"Listen up!" He barked. "Bronya, watch out from behind; you two, point out which are the closest cornices or buildings to us. Think fast and wise or we would fall to our deaths!" He ordered as he started to gain more speed.

"W-what are you talk-" he interrupted Kiana. "And please don't talk, unless it's necessary," he smiled uncomfortably as he felt the pressure inside his head slowly rising and his vision getting blurred. "My head is aching from doing all this," he explained. Kiana and Mei understood what he meant.

"The enemy is retrieving its weapon," Bronya informed as they felt a tremor in the pavement. "And has decided to pursuit us." The tremors became insistent and bigger. "The Bronya estimates a collision in T- 7 seconds."

Another pair of crimson tendrils with serrated points formed on his shoulders. Mei yelped and Kiana and Bronya looked suspicious at his form. "Then, I hope that you are not afraid of heights!"

"What?"

The tendrils shot towards the buildings on both sides of the street and to their surprise, Adam swung all of them upwards. He grunted at the weight but bear it.

"AHHHHH!" The screams of the girls, except Bronya, echoed through the buildings as they got higher into the night sky. The Templar stopped for a moment as if it was surprised for this development. They weren't going to waste the opportunity.

"Girls, your turn!" Adam reminded them as the tendrils reached their limit and released its hold, going back quickly to him. Feeling the stillness when they reached their peak in height, Kiana was the first to react. "Second building on your right!" She even pointed it with her hand. Adam grunted and his right shoulder-tendril shot towards there. They swung and once they reached their peak the tendril came back to him. "On your left!" Mei pointed. The tendril shot up and dig profusely in the concrete. They made a close turn to the left. The tendril groaned in protest as they swung.

"_We are so lucky the city has tons of tall buildings!"_ Adam thanked as they moved swiftly over the streets. He dared to sigh in relief, only for it to be crushed as a building exploded and the Templar appeared amongst the debris.

"Why is it so persistent?" Kiana complained. _**"{Probably because we are carrying a damn Herrscher with us!}"**_ The voice complained in anger. It was known by those in Shicksal that a great source of Honkai energy was bounded to be followed by Honkai creatures. He guessed that perhaps, the creature was called out by the dormant Honkai energy inside Mei's body. He cut his thought as the Templar jerked its hand-sword and brought it forward, cutting apart the premises next to it like hot butter. Kiana and Mei flinched at seeing this. Once it put its eye-head on them it started to chase them, and to their worry, it started to move slightly faster.

"_Damn it! Need to move faster!"_ Adam gritted his teeth as he concentrated. Cold throbbed by his body. The tendrils gained a bright tonality and looked sturdier. The swings became larger and stronger, making their pace faster.

"Urgh!" Adam grunted as he felt a boiling ball inside his head and his vision getting blurrier. The sweets fragrance of shampoo and soap from the girls was slowly replaced by the suffocating stench of dry flowers and blood.

"…_it hurts, Adam… it hurts… why this did happen…?" Crimson covered his eye as-_

"_Focus Adam! Focus!"_ He bit his lip hard enough to bleed trying to make the pain to keep him focused. It worked as the stench reduced, although it didn't disappear completely.

"Third building on your right!" Kiana screamed as the tendril shot and embed in concrete. Kiana and Mei noted the agitated look on his face.

"The enemy is accelerating its chase. Subject Adam, we need to move faster," Bronya's tone was surprisingly even, but he perceived a tint or urgency in her voice. Adam cursed again as he focused more on to better the tendrils.

"_{You are doing something dangerous}"_ it commented as their speed greatly improved along with the trusts and stretching from the tendrils, what by now glowed with an intermittent sick crimson light. _"{If you lose control for even a second, it's game over.}"_ Adam ignored the voice as he started to feel vertigo while swinging from another building. The details of the buildings became blurry but he could still difference their shapes.

"Second on your left! Aim to the top!" Mei shouted. He obeyed and the tendril stuck to the metal part of the glass building.

"_Fast. Fast! FASTER!" _The tendrils and their movements were faster and stronger. He needed to be faster!

"_{You have not done something like this before. Pushing too much of your limits in a single day after taking the pill.}"_ The stench came back stronger. The whistling wind and the girls' voices on his ears were slowly being turned into a mute note. He moved automatically, not being fully conscious of his actions.

"_Can you hear it?" Her voice was a whisper as the ######## sounded around them. "Don't be scared. Ever-" _His sights around became into a tunnel vision as he continued moving at great speed.

"_FASTER! FASTER! FASTER!"_ His breath increased. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as he felt the Templar piercing _hateful_ gaze on his back. He turned right sharply, trying to confuse the Templar.

"_Can you really escape it?"_ Adam heard a mature male voice, different from the usual two. It was the first time he heard it. _"Will it really stop once you run away as far as you can?"_ It sounded angered at him but Adam couldn't help but think there was a trace of pity in it. _"You were always like this, weren't you? When youwerenot#####you####!" _

"_FASTER!"_ His eyes went blood-shot as he kept moving. He _**heard** (ignored the girls' distressed faces)** the rising whispers in his head**_** as he moved through _a dark valley_** _(the jungle of concrete and glass) **while carrying innocents and a slave **(them...) (wearerunningtogetherandbe-!)_

"-listening!?" he heard Kiana screaming something before she slapped him. Adam turned to her briefly, getting free from his delusion. "What?!" He asked as he looked back to the front. The slap was hard but didn't stop him from moving. His tunnel vision was suddenly gone along with the dry flowers-blood stench. Although his vision continued being blurred and the feeling of vertigo was felt less.

"Are you even listening!?" Kiana asked again as they continued moving. The speed was reduced a bit but they were still faster from their original velocity.

"What do you mean?!" He groaned. He was trying to concentrate while moving through the edifices, damn it!

"You looked out of your mind for a moment!" Kiana raised her voice despite they were less than an arm away. "You weren't paying attention to us! Your eyes went weirder and you were making a creepy smirk!" She added. "Hell! Even Mei-senpai is scared of you!" He moved his eyes to Mei, who flinched when he looked at her. Mei affirmed Kiana's statement as she turned her head away.

Adam didn't know how to exactly feel at this. His priority was getting the hell away from the Emperor Beast as fast as he could. He wasn't going to die here and much less allow the Honkai to reach the Herrscher and the girls. Damn the consequences!

"_{Even if you put them in great danger?}"_ It asked. _"{What do you think could have happened if it wasn't for Kiana's slap? A greater shot of speed and leaving the _Templar _behind?}"_ It scoffed. _"{No. You would have lost your mind. Attacking Mei in midair and leaving Kiana and Bronya exposed to the beast or worst, to your blood thirst!"_ It reproached gravely.

Adam felt shame because it was right. He didn't think about what he was doing moments before. His only goal in mind was getting the hell away from the city.

_"{Siegfried would never forgive you if you touched a single hair of his daughter."}  
_

"_**{And he would beat you if you have done something to her, only ten times worse.}"**_

Adam flinched.

"_I-I-!"_

_**FLOOSH!**_

"Incoming!"

The girls turned their heads and made distressed faces as a big ball of debris was flying straight towards them.

"Adam drop!" Kiana shouted. He hurriedly complied, digging the left tendril in the next wall and yanking them towards it with a grunt. They just made it in time as the ball missed them by just some foot. The ball impacted on other buildings, making a thunderous sound as it destroyed more of the premises.

"What the hell!?" Kiana screamed as Adam corrected their course. "The Bronya has never seen this kind of behavior from Honkai creatures," Bronya observed as the Templar, much to her surprise, kept running while wrecking some buildings in its pursuit with its free hand, grabbing chunks of concrete and making crude balls of them.

"Is that normal?" Mei asked. Kiana shook her head and answered her. "No. They just wreck stuff and kill with their own hands. This is even new to me."

"The Bronya shares Idiotka's statement too," Bronya added.

"Stop calling me an idiot!" Kiana complained.

_**FLOOSH!**_

"Down!"

Adam pulled them to the right, dodging another ball barely. "Fuck!" He cursed as the ball wrecked a gas station in the zone, exploding and rising flames around.

"The enemy seems determined to pull us down," Bronya commented. "Really? I thought it was just playing with us?!" Kiana remarked sarcastically. Adam was about to tell the girls to quiet as he shot the next tendril, but Mei interrupted them.

"Watch out!" She cried out as he saw a Chariot walking on the top of the building where his tendril was about to land. It took him by surprise when the damn thing jumped towards the tendril's destiny, trying to cut their way. It was effective as Adam called it back with a grunt to avoid being hit. He tried to hook in another place, but it was too late.

"Brace for impact!" Bronya raised her voice. He heard her cry and went to cover themselves in tendrils and toughen them as fast as possible into a shell.

_**BANG!**_

"AHHH!" The girls screamed as the debris impacted them and threw them off. Adam grunted as he felt the tendrils surface being hit like. He felt like a Ping-Pong ball bouncing on the hard table. While he couldn't exactly 'feel' the external pain that would come from bouncing around, there was a great numb sensation in all his body and he felt how his head was boiling from inside.

Once they stopped moving, Adam sighed relief and undid the shell. The toll from overusing his power was great because he dropped the girls unceremoniously like a sack of potatoes on the cold pavement. The girls grunted as he fell on his knees and tried to catch his breath.

Mei was the first one to recover. "Is everyone alright?!" Mei asked worriedly.

"Affirmative. The Bronya doesn't present any injuries except for light dizziness," Bronya answered with her even voice as she checked herself.

"Ugh!" Kiana groaned as she put the palm of her hand over her mouth as she almost spilled her dinner on the ground. Mei crouched beside her and put a hand on her back as a sign of comfort. "Kiana-chan, are you alright?" Kiana nodded as she gulped back her meal. "Y-yeah. This is n-nothing to me!" Kiana smiled tightly to Mei as she got on her feet. Mei just nodded, not trying to press Kiana given the situation they were in. She turned to Adam to see if he was alright.

"Adam-kun, are you-"

_**Blegh!**_

Mei flinched as Adam puked his stomach contents on the ground. He was on his hands and knees as he continued spilling his dinner. The disgust she felt at the scene was pushed back by worry when she spotted blood dripping, not from his mouth, but his nostrils. Staggering, Adam got up as fast as he could. His knees buckled and almost fell if it wasn't for Kiana's help. She caught him and let him lean on her.

"Blegh!" She grimaced when the smell of vomit hit her nose. "Geez Adam, Mei-senpai will get mad if you continue puking all she gives you to eat," Kiana tried to light the mood by joking. It worked as Adam scoffed and gave a trembling smile. "Well, if we continue running into these kinds of shitty situations, maybe I should consider killing the bastards with my acid vomit."

"Wait, you can do that?"

"I wish." He coughed and the girls saw that his right eye looked unfocused and the other one was bloodshot, with the pale area around the eye sticking out with crimson veins. They also spotted that he was bleeding slightly from both ears. They stared too much because with his free hand Adam covered his left eye and quickly cleaned himself.

_"Fuck! This stings like hell!"_ Adam grunted as he felt his unfocused eye and head pulsing in pain. Adam felt like he had been running for many hours without stopping for breath. He felt he was sweating cold.

"Is subject Adam capable of operating again?" Bronya asked as she pointed to the Templar, who was walking towards them. "The Bronya estimates that we have less than five minutes before it reaches us and proceeds to eliminate us," she stated coldly. The girls flinched at her statement.

"Let me try," he grunted as he separated from Kiana. "Thanks." She nodded back. Adam took a deep breath as he tried to summon the tendrils.

"_Focus, Adam. Focus,"_ he repeated inside his head as he started to feel a cold sensation all over his body_. "Almost there-!"_ "Fuck! My head!" He cursed as he felt the boiling ball inside his head getting bigger. He shivered and clenched his teeth when he felt how the boiling ball inside his skull threatened to split his head in half.

"Fuck!" The trembles from the Templar's steps were getting closer and closer. The thing was ten blocks away from them. Adam was sure the backlash was fucking with his mind, because for some reason, he felt that the Templar was looking not at them, but glaring at _him_.

"_{We need to move NOW if you don't wish to be crushed!}"_

"I know it!" He answered, without noticing he said it out loud.

"Adam?"

He ignored the question and started to search with his eyes something to getaway. He noted there were many cars around, some were just left there in the middle of the street and others were trashed against some buildings and street lights. He also noted the sewer lids.

"_We could use the sewers or an abandoned car to get away…"_

_**"{But the sewers are a very easy area to be ambushed and the travel by car, you risk being knocked down by the Chariots,}"**_pointed out the dark voice. Between a claustrophobic death and being stomped over by a Chariot or the Templar, the choice was obvious.

"Find a car and hop in!" He spat some blood. "Bronya, you will be our main defense!" He moved towards the non-wrecked cars.

Wordlessly the girls quickly went to work. Fortunately for them, there weren't any zombies or Honkai creatures around except for the Templar and the abandoned cars still with the keys in them. Their already high worry escalated when the chosen vehicles weren't working and the groans from the zombies were heard in the distance.

"Damn! This one doesn't work either," Kiana slammed a car's door close. "They are all useless!" She cried out. Like her, the others shared her frustration. "Fuck!" Adam cursed kicking a car, leaving a little dent on the door. "Many cars and none of them damn work!"

"The Bronya hypothesize that they could have run out of battery after they were abandoned by their owners," Bronya disclosed.

Seeing that none of the cars worked and that they were about to be reached by the Templar and the zombies were close, Adam opted for the alternative and went to one of the sewer lids and lifted it. He recoiled at the putrid smell released but pushed the need to back.

"Forget about them! Get down girls and hope we make it," he barked. Kiana and Bronya recoiled once the smell hit them. "Is there another way, Adam? It stinks!" Kiana's voice was muffled by the hand covering her nose and mouth. "We don't another choice. It's this or be killed by the Templar!" He remarked.

"Guys! I think this one may work!" Mei screamed from a white SUV. Her voice was full of relief. Mei turned the key and the driving board lightened for a few seconds. "Yes!"

Only to grimace as the car went dead. "No, no, no!" She turned again the key but to no avail. The engine hummed a bit before falling silent. "No!" She punched the steering wheel in frustration. _"This can't be happening!"_ She clenched her fists in frustration. _"We have come this far to fail at the last second!"_ She saw from the rearview that the Templar was almost on them. She tried to turn on the car again. It didn't work. "NO!" She punched again the wheel harder this time.

"_{How pathetic,}"_ Mei went still as she heard the Herrscher's mocking voice inside her head. _"How-?"_ The Herrscher interrupted her. _"{Whining like a little kid it's unfit of a Queen's vessel.}"_ To her surprise, Mei saw how some electricity rays sparkled on her hands for an instant before entering the driving board. _"{You are welcome, little girl,}"_ as soon as her voice left her mind, the car turned on.

"Yes!" Mei screamed in relief. She should have been worried about the Herrscher's presence in her mind, but right now she was more worried about getting out of the city alive with her friends.

"_I will worry about that later,"_ she thought before honking to the rest. "Come on guys! Get in!" She screamed from the window. They were surprised but quickly got over it and jogged away from the sewer and got inside the SUV. Bronya and Adam in the back and Kiana at her side. "Oh thank god! You are the best Mei-senpai!" Kiana cried in relief. "How did you manage to turn it on, Mei?" Adam asked. She almost flinched at his question, thinking that it wasn't a good moment to tell them about the Herrscher's presence.

"Well, I…"

"The Hostile is accelerating its pace."

"Never mind. Punch the pedal!" Adam screamed as the Templar started to close the distance quickly. Mei set the gearbox and stepped on the pedal to the bottom. There was a brief shriek from the wheels as the SUV sprinted at great speed, leaving behind great groups of zombies coming from the adjacent streets.

"Seatbelts," Mei called. They obeyed and set the belts. They weren't going to die stupidity for something like a car crash after surviving this long. The SUV turned left on a street and continued going on as Mei reduced the speed to a safer level. Fortunately for them, the road Mei chose was mostly clear from abandoned vehicles and zombies. "If we take this road and continued for the next five kilometers, there is an underground road that could take us out of the city in less than an hour," Mei informed them while taking a peek from the rearview. The rest breathed in relief hearing this.

Adam was more relieved of the four, knowing that he didn't have to make use of his powers unless they found trouble.

"_**{You know that you are just tempting fate, don't you?}" **_It asked drily. _"{You have the first-hand experience from doing that.}" _Remarked the other.

"_Right now I just want to relax for a moment before something else tries to kill us,"_ Adam remarked as he relaxed on the back seat.

The SUV engine hummed softly as they made their way on the abandoned streets of Nagazora. He closed his eyes as he took deep breaths, trying to get a hold of himself. The sharp pain lingered still, but he found some relief knowing they were out of danger for the moment.

* * *

"And there," Siegfried finished inputting the last number on the holographic console. He was on the flat side of the war satellite. It was round, colored in a deep blue theme with many flat sides. There were spikes on almost all sides. Its diameter was around 22 feet. He almost tripped when another wave pushed the satellite.

"Damn. I don't want to get wet right now," Siegfried complained. There was a soft hum and another screen appeared, asking for the keyword. "Ok. Just one word and I can get some hours of sleep after this." He scratched his forehead. _"I get all the secrecy, but come on Hestia, those buttons were too small and the data drive it's almost the size of a pill,"_ he complained as he inputted the last word.

"MIRAGE." He wrote on the keyboard. As soon as he was done the screen turned red and a countdown of sixty seconds began. He didn't need to be a genius to know what it meant.

"Time to go!" Siegfried turned and jumped to his boat. The boat trembled a bit at the sudden pressure. He quickly went to the console and pressed the option 'Rainy day' on the digital screen.

"DISRUPTION FIELD ACTIVATED." An electronic voice sounded while a pair of antennas with a yellow light on their tips raised from the upper and back front of the boat. Not waiting for another second, Siegfried pushed the lever on maximum speed. He was pushed back a bit at the sudden movement but corrected his step. The boat moved rapidly away from the satellite. He turned and saw the satellite was getting smaller and smaller as he was moving. Thinking he was far enough, he stopped the boat.

"I don't see why Hestia-" he didn't finish as a powerful explosion detonated from the fallen satellite. The force was powerful enough to push down Siegfried despite the distance. The boat trembled due to the waves violently shaking it. The night sky illuminated briefly at the energy the satellite released as it was destroyed. When the light was over, Siegfried struggled to get back on his foot.

"HOLY SHIT!" He couldn't help but scream at the powerful auto-destruction display. "I don't want to think about what could have happened if I was close to it." He thought Hestia was overdramatic when she said to get away from it as fast as possible but guessed he would have fried his ass if it wasn't for her warning. He put the boat back in the move as he was driving back to the ports as fast as possible. He didn't want to appear in Shicksal's radar or Anti-Entropy for the moment. Despite he trusted Hestia's tech and plans, he couldn't help but feel anxious. After almost thirty minutes, Siegfried reached the ports. Seeing there weren't Valkyries or Mechs around, Siegfried released a breath of relief. He drove the boat back to its original place. As he just finished securing the boat, his cellphone started to ring.

"Hey Hestia," he greeted her as he got down from the boat and walked towards the exit. "I got your info and by the way, I almost roasted my ass back there! You should have told me the explosion was going to be pretty big." He was expecting a remark about him being an idiot for not listening to her. He wasn't prepared for her tense voice.

"Siegfried," she began. "I need you to remain calm." He wasn't calm at all when she said it. "Something just happened some minutes ago. It has something to do with Adam."

"What? Is the kid alright?" He asked. Siegfried knew first-hand that if something bad happened to Adam, Hestia was the first to get worried for him. Siegfried couldn't blame her, Adam was sometimes reckless and backed by his regenerative powers, he had ended up doing something pretty dangerous on some missions. More than once, the two had argued whenever Adam did something risky to complete a contract or mission. The kid could sometimes be hard to hand, but that didn't mean Siegfried didn't get worried for him.

Hestia didn't respond for some seconds.

"Adam is not alright at all. Since day one he had been searching to leave the city. He has been running away from the Honkai beasts and avoiding the hordes of undead whenever it is possible." Siegfried nodded in agreement at Adam's tactic actions. "I don't see what the problem is Hestia?" He quickly corrected himself as he heard her growl. "I m-mean! The kid is strong enough to leave the city behind. It is not like the first time he has run into something really dangerous alone, Hestia. And knowing him, I feel sorry for the poor corpses he will chop down." He explained as he left behind the docks and was walking on the sidewalk towards his hotel. The streets were alone.

"He isn't alone, Siegfried." He raised a brow hearing this. "He met with other survivors while they were cornered by a group of zombies." Siegfried chuckled at this. "What? Worried that the kid is all alone with some girls, Hestia?" Siegfried joked. He grabbed a pack of cigarettes from his coat pocket and grabbed one with his mouth. He saved the pack and using her left hand, he picked a lighter from the same pocket and lighted up the tobacco roll.

She snorted as he took a pair of puffs from his cigarette. "He doesn't have womanizer tendencies, like you Siegfried. It's with who he ran into that I am worried about and how things are playing out right now," she remarked.

Siegfried took the cigarette from his mouth and held it between his fingers as he exhaled a cloud of smoke. "Come on, Hestia. It couldn't be that bad."

"He teamed up with a young girl from the Siberian region called Bronya Zaychik and Raiden Ryoma's daughter, the current Third Herrscher…"

He almost dropped his cigarette at the surprise "Fuck! That's pretty bad! Why didn't you told me this before making me going into the ocean?" He took notice that she said Adam teamed up with them "Wait? Are you telling me he teamed up with a Herrscher? Shouldn't, I don't know, trying to kill each other?" He cursed. "Shit! What I am supposed to tell Ryoma if Adam-?"

"Can I continue?" she interrupted him. Siegfried cleared his throat. "Sorry. Please continue," he took another puff of his smoke. Hestia continued." As I was explaining, he ran into three survivors. Until now, things have gone well between the four, but right now the situation is turning too dire for them. As we are speaking, they are being attacked by an Emperor Class beast and they are running away from it."

Siegfried exhaled a big cloud of smoke. "So, let me guess. I am going to Nagazora to help them get out of the city and while doing that, capture the damn Herrscher and secure them, right?" He guessed.

"Not at all, I already have that covered, but….there is something else you have to know," Siegfried thought he must be tired because he heard Hestia's voice getting nervous.

"What is it?"

"It's Kiana, Siegfried. She is traveling with them."

The effect was instantaneous. Siegfried's leg got stuck in middle motion, his breath went still, and even his fingers that were holding the cigarette were touched by the light flame. He didn't react to the fire burning him.

After long tensed seconds, his breath resumed and corrected his step.

"Siegfried. I know-"

"What. The. Fuck. Hestia." His voice was above a hiss, but she knew how much it could mean this coming from someone like Siegfried.

"She is in good health and Adam has made sure that she is safe and-"

"**WHAT. THE. FUCK. HESTIA!"** Siegfried screamed pissed off as the air around him turned deadly cold. He didn't need to look at his cigarette to know that it became a sharp shard of ice. He was lucky that the docks were cleared from people at this hour. He only scared off some rats and a stray dog, which left running as soon as they felt the murder air around him.

"You promised me that she would be safe! You told me that you would clear a path for her in the case a damn Honkai outbreak happened," Siegfried growled, crushing the ice shard between his fingers. "You know that one of the terms for me to be working with you is that she is safe. If you don't remember, because it's pretty stupid given that you are an AI, Otto motherfucker Apocalypse is looking for her and there is going to be a cold day in Schicksal if that piece of shit touches a single hair of my girl," Siegfried almost crushed his phone. Thankfully it was made of a very resistant material. "Why you didn't contact me sooner?!"

"Siegfried, I know that you are pissed off and I understand your disturbance," Hestia concurred with him. "Believe me, I know you are angry but you must understand that what happened was out of my control."

He snorted, releasing a cold mist from his breath. "Don't pull that crap, Hestia. I know that it's almost impossible for something to be out of your control." Siegfried growled again in discontent. "Tell me. _Right now_. What the fuck happened?"

Hestia inhaled deeply. "Someone interfered with Nagazora's network before I could do something," she sounded annoyed. "I don't how it happened, but before I could contact Kiana and Adam at the first hints of the Outbreak, someone took control of the network and turned it off. By the time I gained eyes over there, they were already in trouble and Schicksal had their sight on the city as well. I couldn't risk being exposed helping them from inside the city." The air around Siegfried started to return to normal as she explained. "This worries me as much as it worries you. Not of this must-have happened Siegfried," her voice was full of worry.

The air around stopped being deadly cold, but it couldn't be said the same for his serious attitude. "Did Schicksal took the lead before you?" Siegfried asked. He knew that there was almost nothing that escaped her. And if it happened, it or they were too cunning or dangerous.

"No," she snorted. "They may have the latest technology, but comparing it to mine, theirs would be my Game Boy," she sassed. Siegfried tried to not snicker but failed as chuckled with his mouth closed, sounding more like a hum. "Anti-Entropy?"

"They are competent, I will give them that. Still, my jukebox touches better songs than them."

Despite being a joke out of this tense moment, Siegfried started to laugh out loud hearing this. He knew Hestia was protective and prideful of her technology developed by her, to the length to say the rest were cheap knock offs.

"Hahahahaha!" He left the shards' leftovers fall on the ground. He started to relax slowly. "Tesla and Einstein would declare you war if they heard you say that." He responded in a hoarse voice.

"As much as I would like to have a pair of assistants once they have tested defeat, I only share with the people I trust." The implication didn't go over his head. Siegfried sighed. "Sorry about a moment ago," he apologized.

She hummed. "It's alright Siegfried. I know that you are just worried about her." Then she added. "And to answer your question about why I didn't tell you about it earlier, it's because there was an anomaly in my surveillance network some hours ago."

_"That doesn't sound good,"_ he thought. "What happened?" He asked. She hummed again for a moment before answering. "In summary, someone interrupted my network for some minutes. They tried to hack a satellite, hence I put it down and made you recover the non-contained corrupted data before destroying it," Hestia groaned in frustration. "I would rather lose an eye on the sky than having an intruder in my eyes." Then, she grunted. "Still, I am mad that I lost one. They aren't cheap and it would become suspicious if I tried to launch a new satellite this time given that Anti-entropy and Otto are too territorial with their satellites."

"Do you know who tried to hack you?"

"Who? Don't. How? Yes. They used an old terminal to access my network. The thing must have been old because it entered an old channel from the communication system and gazed some unimportant documents before I contained the leak." Hestia explained. "It used an old algorithm but effective to a certain length. Still, I didn't want to risk another leak of information until the satellite was down for sure." She explained

"And, if you don't mind sharing, what those documents were about?" He asked. It didn't make sense that someone will hack Hestia's network to only gaze at some documents deemed unimportant.

"Nothing of importance. Some documents a technician uploaded in the network in memory of her life partner." Siegfried was intrigued by this. "All that trouble for that?" He scratched his nape. "Too simple, don't you think?" He asked. In his personal experience, while simple things were good, there would be something waiting to hit you when you least expected.

"I read the documents and they were nothing special. Some poems and thoughts. Nothing delicate," Hestia responded. "Still, I will take a better look at the data you extracted once you arrive at your next location." She added. "Be advised, I will rearrange the firewalls and the proxies the next following weeks to make sure this doesn't happen again." Siegfried groaned, knowing his access to his bank account and his debit card will be stopped for the meanwhile. "Only a few people had access to the terminals and even fewer knew about the existence of my surveillance network. Keep your eyes open. The Snake's hatchlings may have a hand on this." Her voice was worried.

"Do you think he is becoming active?" Siegfried looked behind him suspiciously as he resumed walking. "Perhaps," Hestia answered. "He and his subordinates work under the radar and try to not rise suspicious in AE and Otto eyes, but they tend to be sometimes bold."

"So, now I need to stay under the radar until then?" He remembered Kiana and the others. "What about Kiana and the brat? Are they alright?" While Hestia said she got covered that, Siegfried couldn't help but feel worried about his baby doll and Adam.

"They are having a hard time but I expect them to leave the city in the next four hours," she informed him. Although, this didn't calm Siegfried at all. "You -?" Hestia's voice faltered.

"Hestia?"

"Oh no…" her voice sounded worried again. "Go to the airport right now. You are going to take a flight." She ordered sharply.

"Huh?" He was surprised at the sudden change. "Hestia?"

"It has to do with the network and something else," she hastily explained. "You will take a private jet. Someone will guide you to the airport towards the plane in the next hour. Pick up your things and hurry up, Siegfried. And for what's worth, I am sorry." She rushed before hanging up. Noticing her distress, Siegfried saved his phone and questions and started to run at great speed towards his hotel to grab his luggage.

* * *

_Moments before Siegfried and Hestia were talking…_

"Watch out!" Kiana cried out.

_**Screech!**_

Adam hit his head against the passenger window as the vehicle made a sharp turn.

"The hell?" Adam asked as he rubbed his head. "The road. It's blocked," Mei answered as she took a peek from the rearview. "There were too many cars to move," she looked worried. "There were also many zombies to handle," Mei clenched the wheel in frustration.

"Is there another way to leave the city immediately?" Adam's worry raised as Mei shook her head. "No. This one was one of the main four roads to get out of Nagazora. The others are so far and I fear we may have another encounter with the zombies and… that thing." Mei disclosed. He cursed. "Shit."

"Then, why don't try to make a run for it?" Kiana asked. "I mean, at least we have a car now and we save plenty of time and energy while moving around. Why not try it?" To her chagrin, Bronya answered her. "Like subject Mei informed, the risk of encountering more obstacles and enemies in the city is high, not to mention that we were being persecuted by an Emperor Class Beast," Bronya informed.

Kiana deflated in her seat at her explanation. "I was trying to be optimistic. Geez, what a way to kill the mood, brat."

"The Bronya was only informing Idiotka the facts." Bronya shuddered. "Guess it is too much for your intelligence to process it."

"I am not an idiot!"

The girls continued arguing. By this point, Adam was used to their tirade, but the rising pain inside his head wasn't making it easy for him to tolerate them. He was about to scream to them to quiet but someone beat him to it.

"Stop fighting in the car!" Mei screamed harshly. The girls were perplexed at the sudden rise of her voice. "We are not doing this right now!" They went quiet and meekly sat back.

"_Guess the stress is finally getting to her,"_ Adam noticed while taking deep breaths. Mei kept her eyes on the road while Kiana played with her thumbs and Bronya was looking at anything except Mei. Adam couldn't help but the awkward mood remembered him whenever his sister, he, or his cousin fought in the car and their mother would reproach them.

After some minutes, the awkward mood was broken by Mei. "I-I am sorry. I shouldn't have snapped like that. It's just -she sighed- I am so tired…"

"It is okay, Mei-senpai," Kiana said as she smiled gently at her. "Sorry for the ruckus," she apologized. Bronya followed. "The Bronya apologizes as well, subject Mei. It wasn't the Bronya's intention to stress you more than you already are."

"It's alright, girls." Mei then looked at him from the rearview. "By the way, how do you feel, Adam-kun?" Mei asked worried for him. Adam grunted and answered her. "Not good at all, but it could be worse," he massaged his forehead, finding little comfort in it. "I overused my powers for the moment and the backlash it's a real bitch," he took a more comfortable position on his seat. He tried to lighten Mei when he noticed her worried look. "I will live. A little nap and as long as I don't have to chop zombies in the following pair of hours, I will be good."

"Wouldn't you be better if you take one of your pills," Kiana chimed in. "It helped you the last time you puked on the roof?" Adam sighed and shook his head. "While it's an option, I don't think it's a good idea". Kiana turned on her seat and looked at him. The same did Bronya. "Why not?" Kiana asked. Adam elaborated. "The pill I took help me to manage the backlash whenever I overuse my powers. Yeah, they are pretty useful, but only to a certain degree and there are secondary effects. I am at the point that if I take one right now and I have to push myself too far again, well… things can get troublesome." The girls raised their brows at his faltering tone in the last part.

"_And ugly too." _He added mentally.

"Define troublesome, subject Adam," Bronya inquired with her leveled voice, although they heard curiosity in it.

"I rather not."

Adam didn't think it was a good idea to reveal the information at all. While it was unfair from his part, given that the girls have been honest so far, he didn't want to leave loose ends and much less to the Herrscher's vessel. Don't get him wrong. He trusted Mei as far as he had meet herm but not the Herrscher. It could have access to Mei's memories or in the worst case, it could have been hearing everything since Mei regained control. From some documents he came across during his journey the Herrschers were connected to the Will of the Honkai, like a hive, but with a much direct mental connection. He didn't want to give an advantage to the Herrscher if possible and much less to the Will of it.

Kiana pouted in response while Bronya subtly glared at him. "It is not good to hide information that could put the others in harm's way, subject Adam," Bronya reproached him. Kiana nodded in agreement with her. Mei kept her eyes on the road but he caught her looking at him from the rear mirror.

"_**{Like you are one to talk, loli-bot}"**_ The voice remarked dryly. Adam hushed it and rubbed his forehead. "I don't think it's a good time to mention it now. It will only stress us more than we already are." His ache head pain started to slowly subside. "Let's just focus on getting the hell away from here." He yawned and leaned back on his seat while closing his eyes, trying to make clear he didn't want to discuss it.

His peace lasted for a moment before Kiana asked.

"By 'troublesome' do you mean, something like what happened this morning?"

Adam gave himself away as his eyes shot open and looked frantically at her. Kiana gave him back a serious look, not breaking eye contact.

"It is, isn't it?" She asked rhetorically. Adam cursed internally. He could try to deny it, but at this point and the suspicious looks from the other girls, it could harden things until he got out of the city.

_"Sometimes you win, sometimes you have to lose,"_ he thought. _"Why the naïve ones have to be sharp in the wrong moments?"_

Adam released a deep breath in resignation. "What a way to put someone in the spotlight, Kiana." She didn't react to his remark. She kept staring at him. "Yes, what happened could be repeated, only this time I won't be able to hold myself back and you would have to do something harsh to incapacity me." Mei flinched remembering, from the Herrscher's memories, the cold face and maddening light inside his red eyes as he almost killed her on the spot while he spluttered words.

"Then, I have to hit you harder if you went out of control again," Kiana stated like it was normal. "Don't worry, Adam, I will make sure to not break all your bones," Kiana reassured (?) as she smiled at him. Adam didn't know what to feel. Unbelief, relief, or worry at her statement.

"_**{Baby, he can kill 5 persons in a blink,}"**_ it remarked. _"{Still, it's nice she wants to help you}"_ the other felt touched for her declaration.

Adam was about to add something else but Bronya interrupted him. "The Bronya detects sudden movement on our right side." They looked towards there in alarm, but they didn't find anything suspicious except the occasional zombie in the city. After some seconds, the other passengers looked back at her. "I don't see anything, brat. You sure the hits didn't freak your robot or something? They were nasty," Kiana commented. Bronya shook her head and surprisingly didn't react negatively to Kiana. "The Bronya is 100% sure there was something mo-," she set again her eyes to the right. Kiana was about to call her off until Adam felt a big chill on his back.

"She is right," he affirmed as the chill crawled on his back like a bug. "Something is close to us. Mei, try to take another route to the left," she nodded and was about to turn the car on an intersection until they felt sudden tremors shaking the car.

_**THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!**_

Thinking quickly, Adam bit his lip and forced himself to summon the tendrils and quickly enfolded the girls and himself into a big protective shell.

"Adam-kun?!"

"Gross! Like in those pervert mangas!

"This is inappropriate material for the Bronya!"

The girls screamed at his sudden action but soon understood it as the car was kicked off the road, courtesy from the same Templar that ruined their night, and went rolling on the streets for various blocks until they finally stopped by leaving a dent on a large building. The car was wrecked beyond repair. Fortunately, they haven't been severely injured thanks to the shell-made-tendrils. With a harsh breath, Adam undid the shell, leaning back on what was left of his seat. The urge to vomit was sudden but he managed to suppress it. The same couldn't be said about the blood leaving his nostrils and both ears. Despite this, he looked at the girls, who were still on the destroyed seats while groaning from the hectic journey, courtesy of the Templar.

"Girls…" Adam coughed and saw it was blood. _"Shit! No good,"_ he undid the remains of his seat belt. He patted Mei, Kiana, and Bronya on their shoulders to gain their attention. "Girls… we need to move… come on…" His voice was hoarse. The girls nodded and released their belts. They tried to open the doors, although all of them fell to the ground once they pulled the handles.

They got out of the car and started walking. Kiana held her hand on her mouth, trying to not puke. Mei and Bronya were doing better, holding their heads to soothe the dizziness. Adam wasn't doing much better. His sight was blurred and he almost tripped if it wasn't for him leaning on a wall.

"We –_gulp_\- need to find another car," Kiana suggested as she swallowed her vomit and made a sour expression from it. Before they could even start to search, they heard a familiar clatter close to them.

_**THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!**_

To their distress, the Templar quickly appeared in front of them, crushing a few cars and buildings and brought its sharp blade upon them.

_**CLANG!**_

Reacting faster than anyone, Project Bunny materialized and blocked the sword with its lance. Project Bunny tried to push back the Templar with its shield to have some space to move. Keyword: Tried.

Using its moment motion to its advantage, the Templar grabbed Project Bunny's shield with its freehand and easily, to the distress of the others, threw away Project Bunny, along with Bronya; crashing multiple buildings due to its strength.

"Bronya!" Mei screamed in horror as the young girl was easily dealt with. Adam cursed as he tried to summon again the tendrils to get the girls away, but he couldn't.

"Come on! Come on!" Adam hissed. The Templar turned its head towards them. The shiver on Adam's back got worse as the Templar set its sight on them. Pushing the oppressive feeling back, Adam tried again to summon his powers, but he was met with a terrible migraine.

"**Agh**!" Adam snarled, falling and lowering his head in pain. His breath was heavy and his vision got more blurred than before. There was more blood coming from his mouth. The Templar, almost mechanically, raised its sword, set in ending their lives. Adam lifted his head and to his horror saw that the girls weren't moving at all.

"Run!" He shouted. The girls weren't reacting, probably coming to terms of what just happened to Bronya, but he didn't have time for that. Not now.

"MOVE! **NOW!**" His voice changed and got graver in the last part. It did the work as Mei and Kiana snapped out of their trance and looked at his terrible state.

"A-Adam?!" Mei asked disconcerted, trying to grasp the situation. The Templar's sword was almost at its highest point at what its arm allowed. Dread formed in his gut seeing this, only worsening when Mei, above all common sense and sense of survival, came back to aid him. "What are you doing?!" He screamed. Mei tried to lift him to his legs, failing to do it. She could have done this easier, but the tiredness of the day was finally catching on her.

"Leave me!" He pushed her and fell on his bottom. "I will be fine! Just fucking run with Kiana!" He screamed. Mei shook her head in refusal and tried to lift him again.

"NO!" She screamed back. "I will not abandon a friend in need!" Adam was bewildered. _"We just know each other less than three days and we are already friends?!"_ After struggling for another second, Mei finally managed to lift him to his feet.

_**WOOFSH!**_

Thanks to the adrenaline, Adam saw in slow motion how the blade was coming towards them. He tried to summon a tendril that could pull them out of the way and maybe survive the worst of the strike. He grimaced in dread that not only the sword was coming towards them. "Mei-senpai! Adam!" Kiana screamed as she ran towards them. Adam thought she went away trying to save Bronya or something; no putting herself in death's way to save them!

"KIANA NO!"

Due to her velocity and strength, Kiana managed to push them out of the blade's way in time as it dug deep in the pavement, lifting dust and debris around. Mei and Adam caught her collapsing body on them. Adam pushed aside the discomfort her weight caused him as a familiar metallic smell reached his nostrils.

_**DRIP… DRIP… DRIP…**_

Mei and Adam's eyes widened in horror as they saw a large slash on her back; from her left shoulder to her right hip. The cut was deep. Adam was more surprised that the sword didn't tear her in two. Yet, there was much blood around and coming from the slash.

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" Adam cursed in worry. "Come on, Kiana, don't fucking die on me!" He grunted. "O-Oh my god…" Mei spoke barely in a whisper as she saw the terrible state of her friend. Kiana's skin was quickly turning pale and the only reason he didn't give her up for death was for the weak rise and fall motion from her chest on them.

"She is still alive," he spoke. _"Thanks for the small miracles,"_ he thought in relief. "We need to take her away before she bleeds to death," he moved his head to Mei, who was still in shock with a horror grimace on her face. "MEI!" He tried to call her attention. "We must take Kiana away if we want her to live!" He screamed at her face, but she didn't show signs of listening to him.

"T-this, this is all my fault," she babbled before repeating the words over and over again. "My fault. My fault. My fault. My fault. My fault. My fault…" Adam was about to slap her to snap her out of it until the smell of ozone hit his nostrils and sparkles formed and cracked around her. The Templar raised again its sword to deliver the definitive blow.

_**CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!**_

"NO!" She screamed to the sky as a wing of electricity manifested on her left shoulder.

Adam barely covered his face as Mei's body released a blast of energy, throwing him down the street. His body rolled on the hard pavement for many feet until he collided against a street pole. He groaned in pain but swallowed it when he spotted Mei slowly rising in the sky while releasing deadly rays around her. The Templar stopped moving, gazing at Mei with all its attention. The ozone smell became more intense and her left-wing extended in all its glory. His worry skyrocket went he spotted that Kiana was in the arms of the awakened Herrscher.

"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. FUCK. FUCK. FUCK!" Adam cursed loudly. He was so centered on watching the girls that he missed numerous Honkai beast surrounding the immediate blocks. His yelling called the attention of the Templar. Deciding that it was better if it took care of the pest near its Queen, the Templar dragged its sword on the pavement, finally catching Adam's attention. It took three seconds to Adam to understand what its intentions were. Again, he tried to summon the tendrils. He concentrated as hard as he could, but the headache pushed him back for summoning the tendrils. The Templar raised its sword in a swift motion. Adam struggled to get on his feet. Surprisingly, the Templar waited for him. Adam leaned his back on the pole. His legs were trembling and he glared at the Honkai.

"Do your best, asshole," Adam said with scorn as he spat some blood on the pavement.

The Templar complied, bringing down the sword on him.

"_This is going to hurt so fucking much!"_ He thought while bracing for the incoming wave of agony.

"Stop!" Instantly, the Templar stopped at its Queen command. The blade froze a few feet upon Adam. He was confused as to why she stopped it. The Templar turned to look at her. Adam thought that even the Templar was lost at her order.

"The Queen doesn't accept your service, knight." A ball of electricity quickly gathered over her. With a gesture of her hand, a deadly ray of plasma was shoot from the ball of lighting and was aimed towards the Templar. The ray didn't pierce its armor, rather its body absorbed it. The Templar's body started to quiver and its hard skin bubbled like it was hot plastic.

"Begone!" She screamed and the lightning power increased. Templar's tremble increased. In a few seconds, its large body was reduced into a messy ball of gum. The ray stopped and what remained of the Templar exploded into a pillar of light that soared to the night sky.

"If you are going to die, it is going to be by my hand, Worm," Mei, or to be precise, the Herrscher, announced as she lowered her right hand. Seeing who she was carrying, the Herrscher snorted and adjusted her grip on Kiana. Now, she was carrying her princess style.

"What a mess," she commented while looking at Kiana. "Getting hurt while trying to protect that coward and the Worm," the Herrscher mocked Kiana's actions. The Herrscher's gaze lingered on Kiana's injured body for some seconds before remembering something. "Speaking of him. Where is he?" She wondered, moving her eyes towards the last place she saw him. She noted that were once was the Templar, now there was only left a big crater with debris around it.

"Did that attack also kill him?" She asked to herself while rising a brow with an arrogant tone. "Maybe I expected too much from someone-" she cut herself as she noted how a pile of rocks near the crater started to shook before they started to fall. She was a bit surprised when the falling pile of rocks revealed a battered Adam with many cuts. Her lips twitched a little up, only a bit, as Adam pushed himself up free from the debris. His clothes presented many cuts and tears around.

"It seems that I need to try harder if I want to finish you, Cockroach," the Herrscher exclaimed, raising her voice, so Adam could hear her. He answered her after long seconds. "Worm? Cockroach?" He snorted. His voice was hoarse. "Plenty original," he spat some blood and dust that got in his dry mouth.

"Shit…" Adam grunted as he felt how his head was about to explode at any moment. If his headache wasn't bad, now he found it difficult to breathe without wincing in pain.

"Our last encounter proved to be advantageous to you, Worm," she made a sour face before smiling mockingly. "Now, that the tables are reversed, I wonder, what are you going to do?"

"_{She is trying to provoke you,}"_ it said tensed. _**"{Don't you remember that we still have the pact up with her?}"**_ The other voice spoke. _"{But it's unlikely that she would break the agreement. Unless she finds out the loophole.}" _Adam agreed with them. The agreed to not attack each other. There was nothing said about not using someone else to attack each other or being "collateral damage".

"_Still, I need to get Kiana out of here. I can't face Siegfried ever again if I let Kiana die in her hands." _Adam watched around him to see if there was something that he could use in his favor. He frowned when he spotted the multiple Honkai beasts around, blocking him from escaping.

"This is getting boring, Worm," the Herrscher commented with a boring tone. "I am only allowing you to recover before we continue where we left it." She frowned and the Honkai beasts growled or hissed threateningly at him. "Not even think about running away. I will break this stupid girl's neck if you try something funny." Adam was sure she wasn't bluffing. He decided to comply, the less she put Kiana's life in danger.

"_This fucking headache is killing me and I don't know if I can fight the Bitch Queen a second time without some serious damage or hurting Kiana,"_ Adam glared at the Herrscher as she put her hand on Kiana's shoulder, near her neck. _"The bitch has me by the balls!" _Adam seethed and his anger was reflected on his body as his skin turned deadly pale and his veins pulsed furiously in red along with his emotions-!

_**ZZZZZOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMM!**_

Adam flinched and covered both ears as a powerful boom echoed around them. When he regained his hearing, he raised again his head and was surprised at the futuristic aerial battleship flying over them.

"**What the fuck?!"**

* * *

"Is this the Herrscher?" Murata Himeko, now with a Schicksal military jacket over her red dress, asked with an incredulous tone as she observed the Third Herscher levitating over the city's debris in the Bridge main screen. "I was waiting for, you know, something more like a horrible monster with tentacles, shooting lasers and a long tongue? Not a young girl scowling at us."

"You have strange fantasies about the Honkai, Major." One of the officers in the bridge of the aerial battleship, _The Hyperion_, commented. She fixed her glasses. "Have you been bothered lately, Madam?"

Himeko growled. "Someone interrupted my date. What do you think?" She asked rhetorically. Then she gained a serious look. "Everybody to their battle stations! I want that Herrscher lighted up like a Christmas tree!" Everybody shouted 'Yes, ma'am!' and went to work as the Hyperion made its way towards the Herrscher. Many gates in the Hyperion opened and revealed many cannons and some machineguns on its frame. The weapons started to spin, ready to take down the Honkai threat.

"_I hope this doesn't bite me in the ass, Teri,"_ Himeko thought. She groaned as multiple alarms sounded in the bridge.

"Major! Herrscher's energy is rising!"

"_God damnit!" _She cursed. "Quick! Maximum power to the shields!" She ordered.

Everyone inside _The_ _Hyperion_ braced for the impact. The powerful frame of the battleship groaned in protest as it was assaulted by the Herrscher's powerful attack. Some of the screens exploded and pipes and many machines exploded in a shower of sparks during the offensive. More than one thanked the minds behind the creating o the energy shields used on the ship.

"[WARNING! EXTERNAL ARMOR PLATING COMPROMISED. POWER GENERATION DOWN BY 40%. RECOMMEND CURSE OF ACTION: WITHDRAWAL.]" The system announced in the bridge.

"Major! We can't afford to take another hit like that! We need to retire!" Some of the officers screamed as multiple alerts kept coming out on their terminals. Himeko cursed as she released her hold from a chair she grabbed to not fall during the attack. Himeko's mood worsened as the sirens kept blaring around her.

She gritted her teeth. _"This brat has no idea how expensive is to fix this ship!"_ She couldn't take another month eating instant ramen!

"Major!" One of the officers called her. "The attack fried part of our weapons system! There are also reports that some of the reactors were blocked out for the possibility of a meltdown!" Himeko knew what that meant. Much money, a long and tiring reprimand from Theresa and god…

The paperwork….

"That's it!" Himeko threw over her jacket and started to bark new orders. "Activate nuclear reactors 5 and 6. Maintain furnace putout and switch to reserve power!" Then she added before leaving through the door. "Bring us down to the Herrscher's altitude in 2 minutes!" She started to run in the hallway.

"Wait, you are not thinking about using 'that', are you?" The officer with glasses asked while running after her as Himeko was leaving a clothes trail behind her. The officer was worried, knowing the consequences that will be on the Major's body.

"Do we have a better option?" She remarked.

"But the Council ordered to capture, not to kill the Herrscher," the officer insisted. "The Nexus System leaving nothing behind when something is hit by it!"

"Thanks for the obvious. We are the ones getting killed here," Himeko remarked. _"Teri, you seriously owe me one for this."_

"Enough! You take the control while I sort this out," Himeko ordered one last time before disappearing behind a large metal door.

At the end of the room, there was an iron plate surrounded by a set of machines that started to hum with many cables glowing in anticipation as the frame started to load.

"_This is going to hurt tomorrow!"_ She thought before throwing away a set of really daring panties and stepping foot in the middle of the iron plate. Once loaded, the machine started to dress the Major for an unforgivable night.

"Damn it, Teri!"

* * *

The Lighting Queen thought for a moment that nothing will interfere in her business _this time_.

Sure, Kiana's naive insistence to save the pathetic girl and the Worm's deal to fight later was a delay to fulfill her role as a Queen to wipe out the human scum from Earth, but as lately; one thing after another kept popping out of nowhere! Raising her pent frustration.

Curses! She didn't have this much trouble when she was taking over the weak girl's mind!

And now, the humans dare to fly over her?! A Queen!?

"No one is allowed to be above a Queen!" The Herrscher screamed in anger and flew above the ship. She lifted her free hand and more lighting was drawing from her, creating a powerful storm around her. She will show them what happens to humans when they overstep their boundaries!

"Die!" All the energy condensed into a deadly ray and was shot towards the large battleship, completely hitting the boat. The Herrscher gave a little grin in satisfaction at seeing the damage done to the boat. Some parts of its frame fell to the lifeless city and others were releasing smoke and some flames. She looked down in disdain.

"Know your place, scum." She said coldly. She returned her eyes to Adam. Or to be precise, she tried. The Herrscher frowned in anger and moved her gaze to the ship's main deck hissing doors. Her eyes narrowed as the doors opened and revealed Himeko donning a bulky scarlet armor.

It covered the upper areas of her body, from the middle of her waist to up. Her head was covered by a visor, feeding Himeko with data about the ship and the Herrscher in front of her. The chest and leg area was less covered to give her a slight advantage in mobility. Also, there was a long thick cable coming from the Hyperion, connected to the back of her battle suit, powering it. A mechanic arm from below appeared and pulled out a massive sword. Himeko grabbed it tightly and went on guard.

"You have a terrible attitude, brat!"

The Herrscher narrowed her eyes. The pathetic human had the bravery to oppose and insult her. How she dare! She will need to teach her a lesson before killing her.

"Insect! How dare you oppose me?!" Mei snarled and raised her left hand. From it, a ray of plasma formed. "I will reduce you to ashes!" The Queen shot the powerful beam of energy towards the Major. Himeko didn't think twice before activating her ace.

"[NEXUS SYSTEM: ACTIVATED!]" Her visor informed her as Himeko clenched her teeth to endure the incredible heat filling her body.

"Sorry. I won't go down like this until I find myself a nice guy!" Himeko shouted and gripped her sword that went engulfed in a powerful layer of energy. Himeko quickly brought the sword in front of her just in time as the ray of concentrated plasma reached her. Himeko's sword was like a sharp stone in the middle of a river, ready to endure the powerful wave of energy coming onto her. Himeko's knuckles went white as the sword barely held on the powerful attack from the Herrscher.

"Come on!" She screamed while holding on the annihilating beam.

_**BBBBBBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMM!**_

Amazingly, the sword held on and a powerful beam of energy split in two at the sword and washed off the entire zone. The entire area went covered in a powerful shinning that momentarily blinded the Hyperion cameras and Shicksal's satellites. Once the shinning and the beam died out, the Hyperion's crew panicked as the cameras' visuals were restored. Buildings, debris, and the Honkai creatures were leveled to the ground. Easy to say that Nagazora City had now a bigger crater in one of its prosperous districts. If the sight didn't make things worse, the mood went worse at the message displayed in Himeko's visor.

"[WARNING! FUSION REACTOR OVERHEATING. SHUTDOWN IN 10 SECONDS.]"

"Keep the damn thing running!" Himeko cursed in the intercom. "I don't care how just you do it!" Himeko gasped as she leaned on the sword for support.

"Admirable," the Herrscher commented with slight respect. "I never expected you to survive this." The Queen smirked coldly. "But that only makes you barely better than the insects I have been killing and passable aside from that Worm." She charged another beam. "You bore me. Time for you to disappear." Himeko started to sweat and cursing internally. She didn't know if the Nexus System, no, if the ship could afford another attack. She didn't expect the Herrscher to be this powerful!

"Farewell, in-!" The Queen stopped in mid-sentence as she heard a powerful howl of pain coming from behind and a felt a strange shiver running on her back. Acting on instinct, the Herrscher abruptly leaned to the side. In a blink, a red blur appeared where she was previously. It threw something from itself towards the main deck and pulled. The Herrscher gritted her teeth and was about to demand who dared to interrupt her until she took note of the appearance of the mysterious individual.

"You don't hold to your words, Worm," she hissed at seeing his condition. For her part, Himeko had something else to say.

"What the fuck are you?!"

* * *

Adam had seen many things in his life.

Some of them were pretty crazy, funny, and even lewd. Good times.

There were also, some… nasty things that had made his blood boil in anger.

But to be honest, he didn't see coming a big and large aerial battleship showing from nowhere while he was at the brink of collapsing from overusing and enduring the Honkai bitching. If the pain in his head wasn't enough, shit had to hit the fan as soon as the large ship showed its guns, making the Bitchy Queen going into a tantrum.

"**Fuck!"** Adam cursed as the energy beam sent hit straight the battleship. The Herrscher's attack shook up the area. Adam wasn't an expert in Physic, but he had a hunch that the strong vibrations were somehow related to the electricity and magnetic fields, given her powers and the crazy shit the Honkai could do. He didn't dwell deeply on it. He was more focused on transforming his hands in a downward version of his claws and dug them in the debris behind him, trying to not fall.

When the attack was over, Adam undid his transformation, and not a second later, he vomited a lot of blood and fell facedown. He didn't mind that he was lying on a puddle of his blood. For a moment, the noise around went mute and he enjoyed the mix of warm and cold that his blood and the pavement offered. He just needed a moment to rest. Yes. Just some minutes. He closed his eyes and decided to take a nap.

_He couldn't feel, he couldn't see anything._

_"Listen only to the sound of my voice." The female voice was gentle._

"_Let your mind relax. Let your thoughts drift. Let the bad memories fade. Let peace be upon you." The voice whispered as he continued floating…in his mind._

_###_

_["Hey, Adam, tell me. Are you going to give up?"]_

_#####_

"_Surrender yourself to your dreams. Let them wash over you like the gentle waves of the bluest ocean. Let them envelop you. Comfort you."_

_[You know. I always thought that you were brave. Really. The time you stood up for me was incredible,] her voice was like honey._

"_Imagine somewhere calm. Imagine somewhere safe. Imagine yourself in a frozen forest."_

_[I was crying, like, a lot. I was known for liking the feeling of adrenaline. The air leaving your lungs as a big dog chased me or the fear but also the excitement mixed with it when I messed up with the bullies or mean teachers,] she laughed dryly._

"_You're standing in a clearing. Trees around you so tall they touch the sky. Pure white snowflakes fall all around."_

_[But, when the people I trusted the most betrayed me, I didn't know how to react. I trusted them. With all my secrets and all my heart could offer.] Her voice sounded vulnerable. _

"_You can feel them melt on your skin. You are not cold. It cannot overcome the warmth of your beating heart."_

_[I froze like a statue as they berated me down. It hurt. It really, fucking hurt. I trusted them with everything and they stabbed me on the back!]_

"_Can you hear it? You only have to listen. Can you hear it slowing?"_

_[But you didn't do any of that. Even when the stakes were high and against you. Even when I was planning to throw you to take the blame for my fuck ups… You kept silent as you pommelled their faces. You didn't even mind when they involved your guardians. You only said, 'I am repaying something from long ago. I am only making it even.']_

"_You're slowing it. You are in control. Calm. At peace."_

_[You always paid back what you were offered. Even when nobody told you to do it. It was, no, it has always been your habit. I think there is another meaning behind it, but I will not dig deep on it.]_

"_YOU ARE IN THE FRO#####!"_

_[I want to know something…]_

"_YOU ARE IN THE FROZ############_

_**[WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!] **_Her voice became an angry thunder.

The vision of the beautiful frozen forest was replaced by eternal darkness. And, in front of him, there was a female figure, covered from head to feet on a dark sheet. No. More like the darkness hugged her body like it was her lover, not wanting to free her from its grasp.

_**[Why are you lying on a puddle of your blood while that bitch has that naïve girl in her grasp?!]**_She asked in bewilderment.

Outside his mind, his fingers twitched a bit.

_**[Do you think that piece of shit it's going to keep her part of the deal?]**_ The woman in dark laughed. _**[I bet that bitch is going to 'play' with her before she finishes her off. I wonder, what face Siegfried would make after discovering you left his daughter in the claws of that parody of a god?]**_ She snorted. **[What a way to pay back the man who took you under his wing when you were clueless about how the 'actual' world works.]**

His hands became dark like ink with a tint of red on them. His fingers became longer and his nails sharp like steel. He gripped the debris, leaving deep marks on the cold concrete.

**[You are reacting. Good. You feel pain from these words, don't you? Pain means you are still alive. So act like it, Adam.]**

He was no longer in that darkness. His eyes shot open and slowly, but surely, he raised from the puddle of blood. His breath was harsh and he felt like his insides were made of jelly. His legs could barely support him and his vision was completely blurry.

_**[Are you strong, Adam?]**_ He still heard her voice. _**[Of course, you are! After all, you are still alive even with all the shit you went through long ago,]**_ she whispered next to his ear. _**[Look up, Adam.]**_ He obeyed. There, barely above the battleship, the Herrscher was charging another deadly beam towards the ship.

The red in his eyes glowed intensely with an unnatural light. Adam was so centered in the Queen that he didn't notice a black stain was moving on his skin, crawling from his back and slowly curling around his neck. His breath abruptly calmed down and there wasn't a sensation of suffocation. Instead, the pain was suddenly muted and Adam felt like he was getting a second breath after all the ordeal from the previous two days.

_**BBBBBBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMM!**_

His body went flying as the whole area shook again at the powerful attack displayed by the Herrscher. Adam didn't react when he kept rolling until he was hammered on a long piece of debris. He didn't react at the metallic taste in his mouth. He didn't react at the cold and hard piece of metal coming out of his chest or the shirt soaked in blood getting bloodier. His gaze was on the Herrscher. For him, the flow of time went still, like reality was a picture and him the observer.

"_{Save Kiana, Adam…},"_ it asked commanded. Its voice sounded distant. _"{We owe it to Siegfried…}" _It reminded him.

"_**{Also… the Herrscher is still breathing, Adam,}"**_ it pointed out. Its voice was like a distant echo. _**"{Kill the Herrscher and **(__save __Mei)** from the Will of the Honkai!}"**_

Thinking became hard for Adam as the two insisted and the stench of dry flowers threatened to overwhelm him.

"_{Save, Kiana}"_

His breath started to accelerate.

"_**{Save, Mei}"**_

His muscles trembled in eagerness.

"_{Save, Kiana}"_

He was so…

"_**{Save, Mei}"**_

So [########] excited! This was… this was the best…! Everything was so clear to him. The smell, the colors, he could even hear the Honkai's movements in the distance!

"_{Save, Kiana!}"_

The stench, no… now, he started to smell a sweet fragrance.

"_**{Save. Mei!}"**_

His eyes narrowed at the Herrscher.

"_{Save. Kiana!}"_

Arrogant parody of a god. Stupid ####…!

"_**{Save Mei!}"**_

She was just a fake. Her power was _######### #####_d. So f_##,_ so un_######!_

"_**{**__H__**H**__H__**H**__E__**LP**__ M__**E**__E__**E**__!__**!**__!}__**"**_

**HE W**Ill SH**OW** He**r** _####__**#**__**######**__**! **_

HIS THoUgHts BoIlEd inside hiSS HEad as he TrIeD to kEeP his SAN**ITY…!**

_**[Then, let it go, Adam,]**_ she whispered. _**[Everything is at your fingertips. You just have to let it go.] **_Despite the armor, Adam felt something soft leaning on him and warm lips kissing his left cheek lovingly.

Without giving a worry, Adam yanked himself free from the metal rod. Blood started to pool abundantly at his feet. Adam heard something snap inside him, like a cord that couldn't hold more the pressure. And to be honest, it felt well, like he was stretching his arms after so much time.

"_**[Once she finishes with the ship, Kiana is the next. You have to hurry up!]"**_

Adam grunted and quickly tendrils started to form around his body, like chitin. A thick and yet light layer of dark-crimson armor hugged his form. At the end of his feet and hands, there were long and sharp talons and claws. They were a mix of crimson and black. He looked like a dark knight with a rickety armor. The armor pulsed a sickening red light at the same pulse of his heart

"**LLLLLLEEEEET'SSSSSSSS GGGGGOOOOOO!"** Adam screamed as he started to run towards the battleship. His speed started to increase as he started to come closer to the battleship. Seeing that he was still far from the Herrscher, he decided to cut the distance hastily. With a simple mental command, Adam created two thick tendrils with sharp ends on his shoulders and shot them towards the tallest debris that remained after the previous energy wave. Adam pulled and the result was instantaneous. He was shot out at great speed. The ruins were left behind in a blur as he sailed through the air like a bird. The adrenaline in his system made him smirk. He felt like he was flying for real!

"_**[You are about to miss her!]"**_ Paying her attention, he created another tendril and as he was soaring in the air, Adam shot it towards the tallest thing around.

The Hyperion.

Adam snarled a bit as the tendril pierced the ship's superficial layer but didn't manage to dig enough to his like. Shrugging off, Adam used his momentum and the tendril to direct himself above the ship. His claws trembled in eagerness. As he saw the Herrscher on his way, Adam was about to throw a slash at her midsection until he was stopped by the voices.

"_**[Stop! There is still the blood oath! If you break it, you lose your legs and it's over!"]**_ She screamed in concern. Adam smirked in response.

"_**I DoN'T cArE!"**_

Adam brought down a powerful slash towards the back of the Queen. As the claw came towards the Herrscher's back, Adam howled in pain as he felt a powerful shiver and hot stab on his lower back.

"**AAAAHHHHHHH!"**

"_**[Idiot.]"**_

Knowing that his surprise attack failed, Adam decided to throw a tendril towards the main deck, between the Herrscher and the other person cladded in red armor and pulled himself down while spinning. He landed with a strong and wet _'thud'_ and glared at the Herrscher. He hissed, in anger towards the Herrscher and pain. Once she took note of his bloody features and hissing, she snarled.

"You don't hold to your words, Worm," she remarked.

"What the fuck are you?!"

Adam turned his head to look at Himeko. She recoiled in horror and disgust at seeing his features. The maniac smile filled with pain; the red orbs shining with an unnatural light, surrounded by the black of his sclera; his crumbled chitin armor pulsing a sickening red every so often; and…

_"Oh, God!" _She thought in fright. _"He has a hole on his back and he is just smiling!" _Himeko felt the need to vomit at seeing the puddle of crimson blood forming under his wobbling feet. Himeko had experience dealing with cruel deaths and gruesome injuries during her career as a Valkyrie. She had seen many things, memories that gave her nightmares that lasted for weeks before coming to terms with them. But nothing like she was seeing before her.

"_This is so sick!"_

"**HAHAHAHAHA!"** Himeko shuddered at hearing his distorted laugh. **"Strong. Strong. Strong. I am strong!" **He turned his head again and looked at the Herrscher. **"You are strong. So strong and yet so weak!"** He laughed. Himeko didn't understand his logic to laugh at the Herrscher's face. None of this made sense!

"**Weak. Weak. Weak. Weak!"** He shouted while grinning maniacally. For her part, the Herrscher scowled. "You must have gone crazy, Worm. While you were a persistent and brave pest; now I only see a rabid dog that needs to be put down," she raised her left hand again and another beam of energy formed. "Rest in peace!" She shot the beam down on him. Himeko gritted her teeth and brought her sword to intercept the attack and reignited her sword. While she was still disturbed by what was happening, she pushed back her disturbance for the young man and hoped that the beam didn't roast them. For his part, Adam smiled. His chitin armor trembled at his chest level and it pushed out two familiar objects to him; Omen and Gungnir. He grabbed the weapons and the tendrils spread from his hands to the weapons swiftly. With a hand flick, he summoned Gungnir's barrier and nailed the endpoint of the spear on the deck's floor. The barrier grew large enough to cover him and Himeko from the attack.

_**BBBBOOOOOMMMMMM!**_

The sky night was again illuminated as the beam was brought down on Gungnir's barrier. The Hyperion shook in protest as it took the force of the strike. After some moments, the glow finally died down. The Herrscher smiled superiorly; expecting a scorch mark on the battleship main deck and it crashing down. Her expression turned sour as she saw that the Hyperion was still in one piece. There were many scorches on it and she was sure that a piece of it fell down the city, but that wasn't what made her angry.

"How is this possible?!" She screamed in anger at seeing Gungnir's barrier slowly falling like it was made of ashes, showing that the Worm and the Major were still alive and with some scratches and light burns on them.

"**Hahahahaha!"** he laughed. His chitin armor opened a hole and swallowed what remained of the spear. **"The strong survive. The strong rules. The strong do not flinch before the weak!"** He started to repeat incoherently. **"Strong. Strong. Strong. Strong. Strong. !"** The Queen couldn't help but think of him as an aberration as he kept repeating the words all over again. She cringed in disgust as she spotted that the blood kept dripping under him, making a bigger puddle of red.

Taking advantage of the Herrscher focusing on Adam, Himeko sprinted away from him and brought down her energy sword. "Here!" The sword hissed and released a powerful slice of energy. The Queen grunted and flipped to the side, safely dodging the energy. It continued traveling until it stroke the poor remains of a building.

_**BBBOOOOOMMMMMM!**_

The explosion destroyed what little remained of the construction and shook the ground. It was powerful but nothing compared to the power of the Herrscher.

Himeko's worries skyrocket when her battle suit suddenly stiffened and a new notification appeared on her visor.

[ERROR! ENERGY LEVELS DANGEROUS TO THE USER. ERROR! CODE: 8575. REBOOT SYSTEM IN #### ERROR!]

"_What the hell?! This has never happened before!"_ Himeko gritted her teeth in anguish. She was sweating a lot and her breath was harsh. She fell awkwardly on her knees in front of the others. _"I am a sitting duck here!"_ She thought furiously in what could have caused the sudden failure in her battle suit. Despite this was happening in front of the Herrscher, she didn't mind what happened with Himeko, the Queens' attention was centered on the mad man.

"Enough!" The Herrscher screamed and released a powerful shockwave of electricity that struck the Hyperion. In the bridge, the officers screamed on alarm as the controls flicked and released sparks. "I have wasted time entertaining a mediocre insect and a disgusting worm!" Suddenly, more electricity started to gather around the Queen. "Oh shit. This isn't good!" Himeko said between gasps. The toll of using the Nexus System started to take effect. She knew that the entire ship was doomed if nothing was done fast. She shifted her gaze to Adam, who suddenly went silent as soon as the Herrscher screamed.

"H-Hey! Kid!" She called to him. She didn't know if she could trust, no, if she could even get a _positive reaction_ from him that wasn't a crazy rambling. The fight was turning ugly and she would rather live another day to drunk herself after complaining to Teri for making her take the fucking mission!

Her expression turned worried at seeing the powerful electric storm forming over them. "Kid! We need to stop her if we want to see another day!" She yelled at him. Himeko snarled when Adam didn't react. "Did you hear me? Kid, I said-!"

"**Disgusting?"** Himeko stopped mid-sentence as he spoke to himself in a cold voice. The Herrscher smirked. "Did I offend you, disgusting Worm?" She asked mockingly. **"Disgusting?"** As he repeated the same question out loud, the Major and the Queen noticed that his posture became…aggressive.

With a jerk of his hand, Adam brought out Omen**. "FUCK YOU!"** Adam screamed in rage as he swept the red blade on the main deck surface. His action made sparks appear on the surface, making a long and six deep inch slash on the metal frame. "What the hell are you doing?! Repairing this ship is expensive as hell!" Himeko screamed angry at seeing the long cut on the layer. He growled, not paying attention to her before four tendrils formed on his back. Adam crouched, his legs followed, although they clumsy, given his injuries. His extra limbs shrank and before Himeko could keep complaining, they launched him straight towards the Herrscher's at great speed. In response to his action, the Herrscher created a blade of pure electricity and blocked his attack. Her arm trembled a little at blocking the strong blow. She couldn't use both arms given that she was still carrying Kiana, giving Adam a slight advantage in strength.

"I won't allow you to touch me again with that grotesque weapon!" The Herrscher stated with anger. Adam just growled and glared at her. Seeing that he didn't have the means to fly like her, the Queen tried to shove him down with her blade, but to her disgust, he latched to her wing by using the two tendrils from his back. Adam hissed as his tendrils held the wing and sparks flew at the contact.

"HOW DARE YOU TO TOUCH THE WINGS OF GOD?!" She exploded in rage. "UNHAND ME, WORM!" The Queen yelled but Adam just smirked mockingly. Being pissed off, the Herrscher raised the power in her wings. **"GRRR!"** Adam growled in pain as the electricity started to burn his tendrils. One burned down. He applied more force on his sword, moving it slowly but closer to the Herrscher's body.

"Don't' think for a moment that you will defeat me!" She raised again the power on her wing. The air around them gave off the smell of burned meat. **"Stronger!"** Adam screamed on her face. The three tendrils slowly regenerated and became thicker.

"_**[Bring her down!]" **_Adam tightened his hold on the wing. The tendrils were still burning, but the effect didn't deteriorate as quickly as before, but unexpectedly, a strong headache started to assault his head, making him grunt in pain as he felt his mind splitting like broken crystal. He didn't understand why. He was fine before! Why it was happening now?!

"_**[Pull it!]"**_ He started to tighten even more her wing, cracking it bit by bit. Still, the pain became too much for him to bear. Adam's hold on the wing faltered, slowly losing the grip and the strength put on the Herrscher's wing. Immediately, she took note of this. Her angry expression shifted for one of satisfaction and arrogance. "You should know that Worms can't hope to defeat God's Will!" She redoubled her efforts to free herself from his grasp. Adam started to see blurry, but he tried his best to not pass out. **_(He must save them!)_**

"G-give…give… her… back…" Kiana whispered among the battle noise, yet they heard her. Her voice was like a ray of light that pierced Adam's mind for a short moment. The two fighters looked bewildered at the silver-haired girl in the Herrscher's arm. Both thought she was unconscious. "Give… Mei… back to… us!" For Herrscher's growing anger and surprise, Kiana also took a grip on the Queen's wing, and like Adam, she tried to break it. Her right hand started to burn and bleed. The Herrscher scoffed at this while she kept shoving off Adam. "You are still alive. Interesting." One of Adam's tendrils burned down. The last two were close to being destroyed. "I will get rid of the Worm and then take care of you." Hearing this, Adam's little sanity made him snarl in protest. _He ha__d... _**_to save, Kiana!_**

"No one dies without my permission." As the pain threatened to take him, he felt like he was reaching _something_. Like a nostalgic feeling. "N-No…" Kiana's grip on the wing tightened. To their growing surprise, it started to present long cracks. The Herrscher couldn't believe it. A human girl was breaking her wing!

"You. Will. Give. Mei. Back. To. Us!" Using the last of her strength, Kiana pulled with a strong jerk, and to the Herrscher's horror, she managed to break the wing made of pure energy. Not being able to hold on for much longer, Adam released his grip and fell on his side atop the ship's deck. The red blade disappeared as he fell. He smirked seeing how the wing's rest started to dissolve in mots of light.

"I-Impossible!" The Herrscher screamed in negation. "H-How I could lose two times in a row!?" The Herrscher started to lose control of her body. Mei and Kiana floated for a moment in a bubble of light before they came down slowly. The bubble released mots of light around on its pace. Before being shoved back in Mei's mind, the Herrscher screamed internally.

"_I won't forget this! Both of you prepare yourselves when I come back!"_

The two girls held into each other's arms before resting softly on the ship's deck.

"_**[Kiana is safe, Adam,]"**_ she whispered. Hearing this, Adam's expression shifted to one of calmness. He tried to get up but failed at the first try. It cost him a great effort to do it but Adam managed to get on his feet after three tries. Limping, he started to walk towards the girls. He stopped two meters away from them. _**"[We are half done. There is still something else to do. You know what it is,]**__"_ she purred on his ear. He numbly nodded. With Omen's handle still on his grip, Adam summoned the blade with a clumsy jerk. After the battle and the long use over the last two days, the blade was reduced now to a very thin blade, basically resembling a short knife.

"_**[It's so easy. Really. You just have to drive it directly to her heart. Swift and simple. She won't feel a thing now that she is sleeping."]**_ As he got closer, Adam felt like he was forgetting something.

"What do you think you are doing?" Adam stopped and turned clumsy on his feet. Before he was Himeko standing without her visor and free to move. She sported a fine cap of sweat on the visible parts of her body. "Did you hear me?" He nodded numbly. "Then, what you were about to do with that knife, kid?" Adam looked at Himeko like she was making a stupid question.

"**I am go**ing to kill the Herrscher,**"** He stated as a matter of fact while his voice became normal again. Not waiting for her reaction, Adam turned and almost resumed his walk until he was roughly grabbed by his shoulder by Himeko.

"The Herrscher is defeated, kid. There is no need to kill her." Adam turned slowly to her. "Plus, HQ wants the Herrscher alive and it will be my ass if I come back with a corpse instead of a girl alive." He felt her hand and eyes on his body, tensing and ready to act if needed. Himeko tried to not shudder at stepping on the blood trail. "How about you put that thing down. I promise that we will treat yours and their injuries." Himeko spoke with a soft tone, trying to convince him. She didn't want to use force on him. He looked worse for wear and she didn't get how he hasn't died from all the blood loss. For his part, he slowly tensed his muscles to move. While it could be difficult, he may be able to finish the job in an instant if he pushed the woman back enough to sink the knife in (_Mei's_) the _**Herrscher's**_…

"A-Adam?" He along with Himeko directed their gazes to Kiana, who by some miracle, regained her consciousness. She looked worse for wear too. Her breath was harsh, there was a fine cape of sweat on her blanched skin and her back was stained in red. She looked like she could collapse at any second. As her eyes barely focused on Adam, she immediately understood the situation at seeing the cold and mad light in his eyes.

"S-stop." She tried to get up by using her injured hand, but only got to harm herself more. She hissed in pain. "A-Adam. I-it's over," Kiana kept her gaze on Adam's cold eyes. "We… beat her. Mei…" Kiana battled to keep her eyes open. She felt so tired. "Mei is… back. Adam. You…" She coughed a stain of blood. Himeko worried and thought of going to aid her, but she felt Adam's posture was still tense. Ready to go for the kill at any moment. His sudden change in moods raised red flags in her mind. _"He could even harm or even kill me to just kill the Herrscher…!"_

"_**[Poor. She doesn't know what she is saying.]"**_ She sounded empathetic for Kiana._**"[Do it. If you have to break Siegfried's daughter little heart to protect her, so be it,]"**_ he felt her sweet and deadly breath on his face. _**"[A monster dies and a young girl lives. A fair trade, don't you think?]"**_

"Adam…" Her baby blue eyes pleaded him. "You…" Adam prepared to shove Himeko aside and lunge with his knife in hand to kill the Herrscher…

"_Adam…" __Her__ ragged voice said between laborious gasps… "You promised me, Adam! Why?!" __She cried out in anger and disappointment as a big shadow was cast behind her__. "You promised me, Adam!" His eyes turned glassy as ########e####! _

"You said that we would help her! Not kill her!" Himeko saw the exasperation on Kiana's face as she screamed at the young man. _"So his name is Adam, huh?"_ She noted that his posture loosen up and Omen's red blade blinked off. Himeko released a breath she didn't know she was holding. She unhanded him and touched her communicator, which was in her left ear, and contacted the bridge.

"Murata to the bridge," she began. "As much as I will like to keep protocol, I am tired and in need of a long bath. So, I need a team of medics ASAP out here. Don't worry about the Herrscher. Right now she is incapacitated and I doubt she will wake up for a long while, but seriously, I have two youngsters in need of urgent medical treatment like yesterday." Himeko frowned as she didn't hear a comeback, especially from one of the smart asses she had for officers.

"Bridge, do you copy?" She heard static in response. She tried it again. "Bridge?"

"Major!" She heard a distant scream in the channel. "The-the –_ZZZZ!_\- system! –_ZZZZZZ!-_"

"What?" Himeko tensed when she heard a metallic sound on the Hyperion's front edge. It was a machine gun turret, one of many that stepped at Hyperion's top. She watched as it started to spin slowly. She had a bad feeling upon seeing this.

"Major! –_ZZZZ!_\- weapon –_ZZZ!_\- targets!" The cannon started to spin faster and slowly aim at them. Himeko didn't take two seconds to get the message.

"Get down!" She screamed and tried to push down the people. _Tried._

"W-What?!"

Himeko was suddenly yanked back by the cable jointed to her battle suit. The elevator's doors from where she came from half-closed. Close enough to let pass the cable but not enough to make her fall back inside.

"Agh!" Himeko choked a scream as her back crashed against the doors.

_**BBRRROOOOMMMMMM!**_

"What the fuck!?" Struggling, Himeko raised her head when she heard a known and familiar sound. Her visage of pain was replaced for one of horror as the machine gun started to shoot a burst of bullets erratically, shooting and stopping at times. Seeing this, she tried to break free, but, as much as Himeko tried to free herself and help the teenagers, she couldn't do it. The cable was meant to have a strong grip on her battle suit and her hands couldn't reach the manual release.

"_**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"**_

Himeko flinched when a sudden feminine shriek of pain fell on the deck. Himeko knew that the scream didn't come from one of the girls. Kiana had barely the energy to stay awake and reacted the same way as her.

"_**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"**_

"_It's coming from the communication system…"_ Himeko realized. She started to wonder, what the hell was going on tonight until she saw that the machine gun's aim was close to them.

"_There is no fucking way I am going to die by something like this…!" _She cursed and her attempts became more desperate.

"**I killed you."** She glanced at Adam. While she couldn't see his expression, she heard his voice filled with coldness and deep hate. Himeko didn't think too much about it as the turret finally aimed straight at them. She clenched her hands and teeth as she braced for the bullets.

"_I am sorry Teri…"_

* * *

He was standing numbly on the ship's deck, glancing down at-

_He was again standing on an endless void. Pure darkness around him. He remembered something before he showed up here. As he tried to understand what was happening, he smelled cinnamon roll and his eyes widened when someone materialized in front of him._

"_Celeste…"_

_She was a beautiful curvaceous girl with long brown hair and green hazel eyes. Her hair extended below her waist and she had a cute mole under her left eye. She was dressed in a blue nightgown. Adam's heart clenched when her usual warm and tender expression was replaced by pain and barely restrained fear._

_There was a powerful sound and before his eyes, another person appeared next to Celeste._

_"Katherine…"_

_She was a cute girl with short brown hair and brown eyes. Her hair was a bit darker than Celeste's and fell only to the base of her nape. Her frame was athletic and she had two little scars below her chin. She was wearing a red t-shirt and green shorts. Just like with Celeste, Adam's heart clenched as the usual happy and carefree attitude of his cousin was replaced by one of great anger and despair. Both girls were on their knees, hugging each other, seeking comfort in their embrace_

_In the distance, behind the girls, a tall shadow appeared and started to walk towards them. The pure blackness started to fell and in its place, a handsome and blonde man wearing a brown coat took its place. His eyes were closed and he was smiling mischievously. His worry was replaced by fury._

_He glanced down and he (didn't see Kiana or Mei,) saw the most important women in his life whimpering in horror. They looked at him and their eyes begged him to not get hurt to protect them…(again.) His fury grew and everything turned a shade of red. He was not going to get hurt, for their sake. No, he was going to hurt the man, he was going to stop him from ever laying a finger on them. He glared back at the man._

"I killed you. I have killed you already," _his voice grew._ "Do you hear me? **YOU ARE ALREADY DEAD AND I WILL CONTINUE KILLING YOU UNTIL YOU ARE DEAD FOR GOOD!"** _he roared, his voice more monster than human. The man opened his eyes and they were soulless black. He pulled a gun from his coat's pocket and aimed it at the girls. Adam's vision shifted and everything went red. It didn't matter if he was tired, it didn't matter if he was at his wit's end, it didn't matter if he was bleeding buckets; the fucker was going down, no matter what._

_Crimson-black smoke poured from his body as he got in front of the girls. Adam felt stabs of fire on his body, multiple holes taking place on his body as the bullets rained down. Not minding it, his arms transformed into two and long tendrils with sharp blades at its end. His head buzzed loudly. Adam grunted and twisted to the right as much as his hip allowed. With one last look of hate to the man, Adam launched his tendrils and they ripped the man to shreds. As the remains started to fade from existence, Adam glanced back to the girls. He smiled knowing they were safe._

_He took a step forward…_

_And fell on a puddle of warm crimson before passing out._


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry for the delay.**

**Things have been kind of hectic.**

**I saw the calendar and I curse for my lack of advance in the story after one year.**

**Damn it! I need to step up my game.**

**I don't think this chapter is my best, but I hope you enjoy its contents and don't find it a waste of time.**

**Also, about the pairs, I have been thinking about them lately, but nothing is certain until a few chapters later.**

**With no more delay, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Honkai Impact doesn't belong to me.**

* * *

**XXXXXXXXXXXX**

**UNIT BUNE STARTS TASK #985**

**UNIT BUNE ANALYZING FRAGMENT WITH POSSIBLE HIDDEN MESSAGE.**

**ANALYZING…**

**ANALYZING…**

"_**SAFFRON SKIES RAISE THE BLAZING SUN**_

_**A CHANCE ENCOUNTER, AWKWARD DISPLAYS**_

_**ONE DAY, MY LOVE, WE'D BE AS ONE"**_

**SEARCHING…**

**SEARCHING…**

**CONCLUSION:**

**THE FIRST FRAGMENT DOES NOT POSSESS ANY HIDDEN MESSAGE OR LOCATION.**

**CONTINUE WITH THE NEXT FRAGMENT:**

"_**WITH TWO ENTWINED. A SET COURSE, BEGUN**_

_**THAT FRENETIC, WILD, LUSTROUS HAZE;**_

_**AZURE SKIES HOST THE RADIANT SUN"**_

**ANALYZING…**

**ANALYZING...**

**FRAGMENT DOES NOT POSSESS ANY HIDDEN MESSAGE OR LOCATION.**

**CONTINUE WITH THE NEXT FRAGMENT:**

"_**ABOVE US BEAMING AS WE RUN**_

_**DOWN THAT AISLE, A FERVENT CRAZE**_

_**THAT DAY, MY LOVE, WE BECAME AS ONE"**_

**…**

* * *

_Three days after the Third Impact in Nagazora…_

"Ugh!" Himeko groaned in pain as she rubbed her lower back and closed the door behind her. She was wearing a red jacket with Schicksal's design and black shorts combined with long boots of the same color.

"Damn it. It has been three days and my back still hurts."

"What did you expect after overusing the Nexus System?" Theresa Apocalypse pointed out. "It's a miracle that you are still breathing and not a vegetable after pulling that stunt," Theresa remarked from her chair with a grave tone while rising slightly and pointing with her finger at Himeko.

The two of them were inside Theresa's office. The office space was large, suitable to have several people inside it, and still had the space to move comfortably. There were several shelves with books, office documents, and so on. Himeko hated doing paperwork but she had to admit that Theresa's office was a very comfortable place to do it once in a while. If only the headmistress let her put some alcohol in the medium-size refrigerator in the corner...

"Oh? Principal Theresa, where are you? I can't see you!" Himeko raised her voice slightly with a mocking tone as she moved her head over the office. She laughed internally as she spotted the tip of Theresa's head over her desk. Theresa fumed in anger at the Major's insult to her height.

"Shut it!" Theresa brought her fist down on her desk. Clearing her throat, Theresa's childish voice became serious. "Now, speaking of business. Major, I need your report and the information I asked you to look for."

"Just give me a second." Theresa started to growl in exasperation (and envy) when Himeko unbuttoned the first two buttons from her blouse. Himeko brought her hand to the valley of her large breasts, and after 'searching' for some seconds, much to Theresa's chagrin, she pulled out a small data drive and handed it to the principal.

"What the hell?! Why did you have to keep it there?" Theresa snapped and went back to her bratty voice.

"You said that you wanted to keep this as secretive as possible," Himeko smiled as she took a seat in one of the sofas inside the office. "And I decided to place the data in a very secure place," Himeko winked at her. Theresa just rolled her eyes while grumbling about large and sweaty breasts. She clicked the small drive and it projected a holographic screen.

"While it loads, I need you to tell me what happened that night, Major."

Himeko cleared her throat. "Right. Well, you know the general picture and why I was called that night, so let's skip to the main events." Himeko took a deep breath and started to recount the events from the encounter with the Third Herrscher and how it ended.

"And that's it, Principal," Himeko finished giving her report while rubbing the back of her neck. "I will send tonight the reports about the damage done to the ship and all the paperwork to start the repairs." Himeko was about to get up from her chair until Theresa stopped her with a sign of her hand.

"Thank you, Major. Your declaration will be sent to the Headquarters along with the information needed to start the repairs on the Hyperion. Dismissed." Theresa pushed a little button next to her. The button wasn't noticeable at first sight given its size. Himeko raised a brow but didn't comment about it.

"Himeko. Now tell me, what do you think of that night?" Himeko noted the concerned tone from Theresa.

"Honestly?" Himeko asked as she leaned back on the couch while rubbing her temple. "It was fucking weird. Really, weird, Teri." She took a deep breath and cursed for doing this so earlier. "Teri, you know that the two of us have gone through many things in the years since we have known each other, right?" Himeko didn't wait for an answer as she continued. "The two of us have seen bad things and even messed up shit. But…" The Major lowered her hand and looked straight at Theresa. "That kid, Theresa, what he did and how he pulled it was seriously messed up." She felt her stomach churning at remembering the aftermath of the battle.

"I know what you mean, Himeko."

"No, you don't, Teri," she shook her head. "You read the medical reports but you had had to see it first-hand to understand it."

"Himeko…"

"Damn it, I saw how the boy took the bullets head-on and how he wasn't torn to shreds is a miracle itself. And his smile…" she sounded uneasy. "…Teri, the kid was smirking like a maniac while fighting the Herrscher and smiling happily when he was bleeding to death on the main dock," Himeko cursed for not having a beer at that moment. She leaned her head down and went quiet while remembering that moment. Theresa gave her some time to recover while checking the data drive.

She clicked it again and a holographic keyboard showed up in front of her. She input some commands and the screen showed up the images of Kiana, Mei, Bronya, and Adam. Theresa clicked Kiana's image and the screen blinked and showed up basic information like birthday, scholarship, and so on. Theresa's eyes quickly reviewed the information.

"So, she also helped to stop the Herrscher. Kiana Kaslana." She voiced out.

"Yeah," Himeko finally got out of her head. She crossed her legs while voicing her opinion about the girl. "It surprised me when she grabbed the Herrscher's wing and her hand didn't fry the instant she touched it. All our researches have pointed out that the human body cannot manage pure Honkai energy without serious consequences." While Himeko said this, Theresa was in her own world speaking to herself.

"_Kiana… I never thought I will see you again after so many years."_ A little smile formed on Theresa's face. Himeko didn't see it but noticed that she went quiet.

"Teri?"

"It's nothing," Theresa closed the window and selected the image of Mei. A quick scan and her eyes went wide.

"What?!" Theresa asked as her eyes read the information with detail.

Himeko leaned back on the sofa. "Surprising, right? Anti-Entropy, our nemesis, turned out to be the backers of ME Corp. And the cherry on the top is that the Herrscher turns out to be the Heiress of the ME Corp. Kind of ironic, don't you think?" Theresa nodded while reading the information about the Heiress.

"I am more surprised that AE didn't make a move when the Herrscher manifested," Theresa commented and Himeko agreed with her. "I have asked the intelligence department to take a closer look at Mei and her father. Still, I think it would be a while until we got something good. AE is good at cleaning their tracks." Himeko pointed out.

Theresa closed the window and selected Bronya's. Theresa made a confused face at the scarce information about the younger girl.

"Yep. I made the same face when I got her information. Too basic and not very credible for the intelligence department, but well, given that she came from the Siberian region, it's understandable to not have all the information about her. The whole place it's in itself chaotic." Theresa felt her mouth going dry at the mention of the region.

"If you think it is strange, you need to see the big robot that appears behind her and all the tech things it can do," Himeko tried to take the conversation somewhere else when she spotted Theresa's sour expression. She tried to not cringe when remembering an embarrassing photo showed in front of the other officers when she made fun of the girls' height, after discovering her sitting calmly inside the main hangar. Nobody asked how she got there. Too tired to ask and there were other important things to do.

Theresa shook her head briefly and closed the window about Bronya and opened the last one.

Her eyes scanned over the information quickly and frowned at what she found.

"This is all the information you got of him?" Theresa asked with doubt. "His file. It looks so plain…" Theresa doubted that it was all about him.

"Yes. I even asked the intelligence department to run again another search just in case they missed something," Himeko answered with a serious voice. Theresa looked again at the screen with the basic information of Adam. Seeing her face, Himeko decided to add her thoughts.

"I know what you are thinking. How someone like him, well, someone _with_ powers like him, shows up out of nowhere right when the Third Herrscher manifests while Schicksal Intelligence didn't have information of someone like him until now. The kid would have appeared on the radar years ago."

Theresa looked towards Himeko. "Pushing that aside for the moment. How was her reaction after telling her about their conditions?"

"Relief and worry. She was really concerned about what happened to the girls," Himeko answered. Theresa lifted a brow when Himeko excluded the only male in the group. "You didn't tell her about him?" In response, Himeko gave her an incredulous look. "When I told the girl about their conditions, she asked me to kill her to protect her friends after their ordeal in Nagazora. She looked deadly worried after seeing their bruises and cuts. Imagine her reaction if she learned of his state. I told her that he was fine by the moment but that he was in another room for late questioning. She didn't believe me at all."

Theresa sighed. "What about the offer? Did she think about it?" Theresa asked.

"She has some doubts but is willing to take the chance." Himeko groaned. "I hope this doesn't blow up on our faces."

"Me too," Theresa sighed.

The Principal grimaced remembering the expressions from the Counsel, eager to investigate a living and tame sample of a Herrscher. Theresa almost threatened them to submit the Herrscher to her but fortunately, for the other people, her grandfather vouched for her. She smirked remembering their glares. The triumphant smile faltered when they remembered warned her that they will be watching her 'little experiment' with cautious eyes.

Theresa was called back to reality when Himeko cleared her throat. "So, are we really doing this?" Theresa nodded resolutely. "I have made up my decision. These girls will be staying here at St. Freya." Himeko got up from her seat. "Well, the last thing in my mind was playing nanny, but who can say no to budget raise," Himeko shuddered and turned around. Before she left through the door, Theresa shot out. "And Himeko, please stop using the Nexus System! The medical department says that you don't have much time!" Himeko gave her a carefree smile. "Don't worry. I know my body best and I won't give up until I found my special one," Himeko waved her hand in goodbye and left.

"_You have been saying that for too long, bimbo," _Theresa though in worry for her long-time friend. She closed the window with Adam's basic information and opened a video recording. It was taken moments after the main system of the ship came back online before leaving the city.

"Let's see what else she got from there…" Theresa muttered as she played the video. The media file showed the remains from the Herrscher's attacks. Theresa clicked and watched in boredom the city debris. She was about to close it after minutes of nothing happening until she took note of the female figure showing up on the screen.

Theresa noted that the young woman wore a Miko dress with some modifications. The mysterious individual stopped in front of something and crouched. Theresa brought closer her face to the screen to see better her features.

"What is this?"

_**BEEP! BEEP!**_

"Ahh!" Theresa jumped on her seat surprised as the telephone of her office rang. She grumped for being startled so easily. She glanced at the video one last time before closing it and answering the phone.

"Good afternoon. This is Headmistress Apocalypse speaking."

"Hello Theresa," a soft female voice greeted her casually. Theresa lifted a brow. "Excuse me, who is this? I don't recognize you." The other person at the other end chuckled. "Of course. Silly me. I forgot this is the first time I am speaking with you." She cleared her voice.

"Again, hello Theresa. My name is Hestia. You don't know me but I know you-"

"If this is another advertisement I swear I am going to sue your company!" Theresa sighed annoyed. She was tired of the marketing that kept finding her number. The line was supposed to be private for God's sake! "I have never-!"

"Never meet a man called Siegfried and his daughter Kiana, Theresa?" Hestia cut in before Theresa could protest further. It worked as she stopped mid-sentence when she heard those two names coming from the mysterious Hestia.

"How do you know them?!" Her eyes narrowed and her voice became sharp with a tint of worry. She knew that some people in Schicksal still remembered Siegfried and his shenanigans but there were few to none that knew about Kiana.

"Who are you? No one knows about Kiana," she pointed out.

Hestia chuckled. "Now that I have your attention, could you please make sure that you are alone in your office? No one must hear what we are about to discuss." Hestia asked politely.

Theresa didn't answer gripping the phone tightly and pondering in her head what was happening and how did she know about her niece and Siegfried.

"_I made sure that none would trace them after the stunt Siegfried pulled those years ago. He never mentioned someone else helping him the few time we spoke. The idiot neither tell me where Kiana was and I'm sure that I have never said a word about them to anyone! Perhaps Siegfried-"_

"Theresa, I know that you are asking yourself why I know about them," Hestia interrupted Theresa's line of thought. "I know this is so forward from my part, but I am a friend of Siegfried and someone who has in the best interest the wellbeing of your niece." The grip on the phone relaxed a bit but she didn't drop the sharpness in her voice.

"Who are you?"

"Someone who wants a tomorrow for everyone."

* * *

_####sdjkfnnthesmdklfpainfsadfdosofffersdfklsdklluiouihrqweoffense…..#####_

Adam flinched and came back to reality as he barely caught a ball before it hit his face.

"Hey! Don't throw it so hard," Adam complained as he left the ball fell on the grass after Katherine threw it at him.

"Don't be such a baby. I didn't put much force on it," she remarked and rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"Are you two seriously going to start fighting right now?" Celeste asked sarcastically at seeing her brother and cousin arguing.

"She started it!"

"He can't take a hit for shit!"

"Enough! If you two can't behave, no cake for none of you" Their mother cut in before the arguing escalated.

"But Mom!" / "But Aunty!"

Adam and Katherine complained as Celeste shook her head and sighed while their mother glared at them.

"Come on guys, this is Mom's first day off in a while. Let's not fight, okay?" Celeste smiled sweetly at them. Adam and Katherine pouted and relented. They started to walk toward them as Celeste finished setting the tablecloth on the grass while their mother went to the car to grab the last of the bowls with food for their picnic. As they came closer, Katherine noted that Adam dropped her favorite baseball ball.

"Hey Adam, you left my ball back there," she motioned with her thumb backward. "Go and grab it." Adam was about to say no. "Go for it and I will forget you were ogling my friends last Friday or I will tell Celeste~", she sang the last part with a sweet tone. He flinched and quickly went to grab the ball.

"I hate you…" He growled. "Love you too, brat!" Katherine smiled and went to grab lunch. He loved his cousin who was more like an older sister than a cousin, but he hated it when she blackmailed him to do sometimes her chores or just to mess with him. He strolled, he didn't want to miss the food her mother and sister made for the picnic and like hell, he was going to miss a bite from her sister's famous chocolate cake. Everybody in the neighborhood loved it!

Adam reached the ball and was about to grab it until he heard Katherine calling him.

"Oi! Adam!" He rolled his eyes. "What?!" He turned around and to his surprise, he was no longer in that beautiful green meadow.

He was standing in an endless field of white flowers.

"Wh-What is this?" He noted that he was the only one standing on the white field. "Celeste? Katherine? Mom?" He called for his family to no avail. He started to panic. His breath hitched and started to call for them again, more desperately.

"Celeste?! Katherine?! Mom?! Where are you?!" Tears started to form on the corner of his eyes. There was no answer, only the soft breeze caressing his face and the sweet smell from the flowers.

"Agh!" Suddenly his head ached and Adam cried in pain. He tried to hold his cries like Katherine once told him, but he found it difficult to not cry as the pain grew.

"Stop…" He whimpered. "Please!" The pain increased. He bent on his knees and suddenly he found it difficult to breathe. It was like someone was using his head like a drum in a musical festival, like the one Katherine once took him in summer. He felt like his head was about to explode. "STOP!"

"**Adam…"** a soft voice called him. A feminine voice.

His heart jumped in fear as he felt someone standing behind him. For some reason, he couldn't turn his head back to look. Soft and warm arms and hands hugged from behind and rubbed his chest and arms as the mysterious woman whispered on his ear.

"**It's alright Adam. It will pass,"** she comforted him. True to her words, the pain slowly vanished, leaving a dumb sensation for a second before disappearing, as nothing happened moments ago.

"What is this?" He asked and suddenly he felt conscious about his personal space. Adam's cheeks turned red as he felt two soft big pillows leaning on his back. He yelped as she brought her lips to his neck and kissed him softly, and then; he felt it.

No desire, no lust, no primal need but… love. So pure and unconditional… so warm.

Although he was overwhelmed by such raw emotion coming from the mysterious woman, Adam finally found the courage to speak to her. "W-Who are you?" The woman stopped kissing him at hearing his question.

"**I see..."** she answered with a sad whisper. Adam felt a knot in the stomach at hearing the sad tone in her voice.

"I am sorry," Celeste told him to always apologize if he ever made a girl sad. The woman chuckled and gave him one last kiss. **"It's alright. It's still too soon for you to see,"** she undid the one-sided intimate hug. Adam turned to see her; only to find that he was standing alone again in the vast field of white flowers.

"What was that?" He asked to himself. For some reason, he started to miss the woman's warming body.

"**A memory."** Adam turned around at hearing an unknown mature male voice. He didn't see anyone else standing on the field. "Who is there?" He shouted. **"It's me."** Adam whipped his head around, trying to locate the person.

"Where are you?"

"**Down here."** Adam looked at his feet and found some flowers with a tint of red at their tips. He raised a brow at this, he didn't saw them before. He kneeled to take a closer look at the flowers. _"If I remember correctly, Celeste told me they were called Striped Carnations."_ Adam touched one of them. The flower bounced at his touch. Before he knew it, he picked up the flower and brought it closer to smell it. Its scent was fragrant and pleasant.

"**Brace for it,"** Adam dropped the flower startled by the sudden voice coming from it.

"Brace for-?" He didn't manage to finish his sentence as he felt a cold shard of ice being shoved in his head. "Uggghhhh!" Adam didn't even scream, the pain too sudden and overwhelming for his mind to process. He hissed and fell on his knees as the feeling-like shard kept making its way in his head. As it kept moving, Adam saw many things at blinding speed while hearing a deafening hum.

_#######_

_He is taking coffee in a warm bookstore as he waits for someone;_

_He is hearing fireworks in the distance from the top of a building while aiming down the sight from his sniper rifle;_

_#######_

_The smell of cheap perfume lingers in the air as he makes his way inside the old rag building;_

_Walking on cold and sterile metal halls while not paying mind to the brave glares thrown at him;_

_###S#####_

_He breaks his adversary jaw with a hook and kicks him out of the ring towards shocked onlookers;_

_Humid air as he runs and shoots in the middle of a jungle while chasing down his target;_

_He drinks together with his captain despite the protests from his guardian and the laughs of everyone around;_

_###-St-#########_

_His friend and companion blush atomically as he discusses with a scantily dressed black-haired woman about business while ignoring the moans coming from behind her;_

_Katherine scares the hell of the older boys as she stomps relentless his bully on the crotch while Celeste checks his face and the blows on it;_

_He smells chocolate and winces when he notes from where it comes from;_

_####-Stop! -######_

_The orchestra and the dancers freeze in horror as he sinks his blade-arm in the target's stomach;_

_He groans annoyed while a beautiful blonde woman covered hers and her girlfriend bodies with a blanket while throwing insults at him in three different languages;_

_Celeste plays with him in the park until the sunset;_

_The p### haired girl smiles at him sweetly while her older sister glares at him;_

_####Stop!####_

_Celeste is gripping his hand so strong, to the point that it hurts while they run away with the other children; he ######!_

_#### he obeys because there is no other option. No, there are other options, but he rather does this instead of being taken away from #####;_

**#########STOP!#########**

_The metallic smell of blood and alcohol lingers in the room. He doesn't give a shit as ##### kisses him to the point of suffocation. ########_

_###### They are alone. Her smile is radiant and he blushes, her touch made his heart flutter and he wants to only bask in her presence and sniff that sweet perfume she rarely uses#####_

**#########STOP!#########**

**##########STOP!#########**

##

_I####_

_I… I promised…!_

**##########STOP!#########**

* * *

"Ahhh!"

Adam jolted awake breathing hard. There was a deafening buzzing ringing in his ears as he panted. He gulped unconsciously and felt his throat and tongue dry. He was laying on a hospital bed, wearing a hospital gown for patients. Adam's breath was ragged and he was sweating a lot after the dream. A constant beep caught his attention and turned his head on the pillow to find its source. It was a monitor registering his vital signs. He took note that many cables and tubes were connected to his chest and arms. There were bags half-filled with some sort of serum.

He started to scan the room he was in. It was a hospital room, with the characteristic sterile smell and white theme. At his bed's end, some feet away, there was a long piece of furniture with drawers. There was also another door beside it. Another few meters to his right, there was a coffee table and a sofa under a long, large window. He couldn't see what was on the other side, the blinds were half-open allowing sunlight to enter, which barely illuminated the room. Adam tried to get up but he felt his all his body sore and he fell back when he felt a powerful stab of pain on his back. It didn't help that his head felt like it was about to explode.

"W-what the fuck?!" Adam hissed as the pain persisted. "My head!"

"_**{Welp, what did you expect after breaking an oath from Omen's and bite off more than you can chew, you fucking idiot}"**_ It remarked with a mocking tone. Adam was about to tell him to shove it until he remembered what happened the last night.

"_We were fighting… and then…" _He paled. _"I lost control…!"_ Adam cursed remembering in blurs his fight with the Herrscher and that he almost stabbed Mei despite Kiana's protests.

"_Fuck! Kiana and the girls!"_ He tried to get up again but the pain was too much for him.

"_{They are alright. You managed to stop yourself before going too far,}"_ it reassured him. Adam gained some comfort hearing this.

"_{Although, you were too reckless. You could have hurt the girls or worse, your death,}"_ the other one pointed out admonishing him.

"_G-great. If I am hearing you then that means I am still alive, so spare me the sermon,"_ Adam hissed. The pain was too persistent for his like.

"_Fucking hell. This hurts worse than when I took a bullet for the brat,"_ he commented as he took deep breaths.

"_{Of who you are talking about?}"_ Adam opened his mouth to answer. "The brat. She…" He closed his mouth when noted he couldn't remember who he was speaking about. "W-Who? Agh!" He groaned and took a hand to his head when it ached for a second before stopping.

"_**{Ding! Ding! Looks like you are starting to remember, champ,}"**_ it chirped. _**"{So… Was she hot?}"**_ How Adam regretted not being able to go inside his head and beat the annoying bastard.

"_{Putting aside the need to beat him, this is great news. It means it's only a matter of time before you start to remember more about the past.}"_ It answered with a positive tone. Adam's mood lightened a bit hearing this.

"_**{Well…I am not trying to rain on your parade, but, didn't he remember more just because, I don't know, he went fucking nuts while fighting Bitch Queen?}"**_ It pointed out. _**"{He barely remembered a thing during all these months while traveling with Siegfried and before of it. Waking up sometimes screaming or crying like a little bitch.}"**_

"_How about you shut the fuck up,"_ Adam hissed bothered by its observation. He tried to not give it credit although it was right. He saw more of his past in his dream than in all those months while he traveled. He didn't dwell on it, for the moment. Right now he had other things to attend before figuring out the problem with his memory.

"_Anyway, I need to get on my feet and try to know what happened to the rest."_ He tried again to sit and succeed on his fifth try, although his legs and hands trembled from time to time. Adam grunted, his body felt sore but his back, specifically where Omen pierced, still ached awfully.

He just stood up as the door to his room suddenly opened. It was unknown to him if the room was monitored. Inwardly he cursed his lack of foresight. He was prepared to confront a nurse or a doctor, even a security guard; the last of his expectations were to face a young girl wearing a nun outfit.

"_The hell?"_

The girl's eyes widened a bit after seeing him sitting on his bed. She stepped inside and the door closed behind her. The girl walked towards his end's bed and stopped there. She crossed her arms over her chest and eyed him from head to toe carefully. Adam raised a brow albeit he remained silent. He took note that she had in her hand a bottle of water.

"I thought she was lying when she said you were already up after three days of being…beaten," she sounded unsure at the last word. "I read your medical report and the doctors wrote down that it would take a miracle for you to walk again." Adam's eyes widened in bewilderment.

"_**{Holy shit! What the hell did you-?! Oh! Right, you broke the Oath from Omen's…}"**_

He ignored it in favor of hearing the girl.

"I thought Hestia was messing with me but you are even standing on your feet, albeit barely."

"W-wait, you know Hestia?" Adam asked her with a raspy voice. The girl answered with a short nod. He knew from experience that Hestia rarely shared her name. She tended to use an alias when she dealt with other people who worked for/with her. If she gave her name to the little girl then that meant she trusted her. Noting his raspy voice, she handed him the water bottle. He wasn't sure to accept the drink immediately, but he was thirsty as hell and she mentioned that Hestia spoke with her. He decided to trust her… for the moment. He nodded in thanks and hastily tore open its cap and gulped down its contents.

Adam sat back on his bed. The girl kept her gaze on him. He started to feel uncomfortable with it. "If you spoke with Hestia, then I think she told you some things about me, right?" He was the first to break the silence.

The girl didn't answer immediately, she pondered for a moment before responding. "She didn't tell me too much about you. Only the basics and that you were planning to come here before the Incident in Nagazora." Adam nodded. "Yeah. And if you know about Hestia, then you also know about the old man, don't you?"

She snorted. "If you are speaking about Siegfried, then, yes." Adam gave her a crooked smile. Despite the snort, her voice became a bit warm when she mentioned Siegfried. "Okay." He blinked and remembered something. "Wait, I had a letter with me from him to someone called, huh, Theresa Baby Doll, I think?"

"He called me what?!" She shouted, startling Adam a bit at the sudden shout. "For God's sake! When he is going to drop it?!" He just looked as she kept rambling something about Siegfried being an idiot. Adam learned to keep quiet when someone –especially women- complained about Siegfried and his immature attitude but, as much as he enjoyed watching the girl roasting his drunk mentor, Adam was thirsty and in need of a painkiller, a very strong one. He cleared his throat cutting off the girl's rambling. "Sorry to interrupt you, but I would like to take a painkiller if it's not much trouble." He asked politely.

"R-Right," the girl fake-coughed. "Hestia told me to give you these," her right hand went to her waist. She reached into the pocket of her outfit and pulled two syringes filled with a transparent liquid. "She told me that you should take them after waking up if the pain became too much." She handed him the syringes.

"Believe me when I say that the pain right now it's _too much,"_ he hissed as he adjusted his bottom on the bed.

"I don't know if it's a good idea to mix it with the other serums your body has been taking. You were quite …hurt when they picked you up." She commented while giving him an unsure look. "Maybe I should call one of the doctors."

"Don't worry, I can handle it," Adam remarked. He noted that one of the serum tubes was connected on his left arm, near the joint of it. He took off with his teeth the syringe cap and to the girl's surprise, Adam pulled the tube and needle casually from his arm. His hand trembled a bit, but it didn't stop him from putting the syringe's needle where the previous one was before. He pushed the plunger and after emptying the substance, he pulled the empty syringe off and left it on the bed. He waited for a moment and took the second dose, and after some seconds he sighed in relief when the pain was replaced by a familiar numbness.

"That's much better!" Adam commented with relief at feeling its effects.

"Wait, you took a big dose of painkillers just like that?!" she was worried knowing how strong the painkillers were. "I thought Hestia gave it to you?" Adam raised a brow. "W-well, yes. I asked one of the nurses for them. I just didn't expect you to take it all at once!" she uncrossed her arms and turned her eyes to the heart monitor and eyed his face for any sign of overdose. Adam waved off her concern.

"Don't worry. Something like that won't kill me. Believe me when I say I have a high painkiller tolerance." He assured her. Adam had a high resistance towards drugs thanks to his powers, although he didn't comment on how it sucked when he needed a painkiller and there wasn't enough for him when the pain was too much. He needed to take twice of a dose for the effect to kick in.

"Sorry, but I didn't get your name." She cleared her throat.

"Alright. My name is Theresa Apocalypse. Headmistress of St. Freya Academy, a place specialized in training Valkyries to fight the Honkai," she said it with pride while her eyes sparkled with satisfaction and content.

"But you already know about that, didn't you?" The spark was gone at her question, though she still sounded content.

Adam remained quiet for a second before nodding and answering.

"Siegfried and Hestia told me beforehand about this place. He said that here I could learn how to exploit my potential and that his friend, he meant you, would give me a hand on that," he informed her.

"Siegfried told you about the academy?"

"Yeah. He said it was the best place for me to keep training," he didn't add that it was also a safe place to do it.

He and Siegfried weren't on good terms with Schicksal at all, but Siegfried told him that the academy had the personal and the facilities to improve himself. Not to mention that he shouldn't have to be running away in the case he _went out of control_ and Schicksal, Anti Entropy decided to investigate the matter. According to Siegfried, the director would be able to handle him with no trouble at all if he went nuts.

"Although, he didn't tell me that the academy was being run by…?"

"By someone as cute as me?" Theresa smiled playfully and gave a spin on her feet.

"Y-Yeah," he decided to stick to that.

"_**{Are you sure that the painkiller isn't making us see this? She is a little brat!}"**_

"_{Better not comment about her appearance or age. Celeste and our travels have given us a harsh lesson about that,}"_ Adam almost cringed remembering that.

"Anyway," Theresa interrupted his thoughts. "You should take a bath before I take you to your new dorm." He raised a brow. "Just like that? I thought I was going to be interviewed or something like that." He found it too convenient to be true.

She explained. "Normally that would be the case but given the circumstances in which you and the others arrived… let's say it's better if we speed up the enrollment process for all of you." He guessed that she wanted to keep him and the others away from the high command of Schicksal.

"Right. What happened to them?" Despite the tried to keep an even tone, worry leaked in his voice as he remembered the nasty slash on Kiana's back.

Theresa smiled hearing his concern. "Don't worry. There were some cuts and bruises. Nothing that we couldn't handle."

"What about the silver-haired girl? She got a nasty cut on her back." While Theresa was a friend of Siegfried, Adam didn't know if he could trust Kiana's identity to Theresa at all. He decided to play it safe. Call him paranoid, but there have been cases when some contact of Siegfried's had stabbed them in the back in few occasions for the promise of money. He wasn't going to risk Kiana's safety.

Theresa raised an eyebrow at the way he asked about Kiana until she concluded the cause of his worry. She closed her eyes and sighed. She opened and looked straight to Adam in the eye. "If you are worried about Kiana, I already know that she is the pervert's daughter. "I promised her mother long ago that I would watch out for her, so don't worry, I won't hurt her." Adam eyed her with a serious face. He kept the stare for another moment before dropping it. "Sorry, but I needed to be sure. There have been some close calls with some of Siegfried's _friends_ in the past." He snarled at the word, remembering harsh moments that ended with bullets and one less friend for Siegfried. Theresa wasn't offended hearing this. In a way, she was relieved that he was watching out for her niece too.

"Don't worry. We will soon meet with them."

She went to one of the drawers and pulled one of them open. She took out a set of black pants, a red t-shirt, a simple grey hooded jacket, brown boxers, and a pair of sneakers with red stripes. She left them atop the furniture.

"While you were sleeping, Hestia asked me to buy you some clothes. I can't have you butt naked or wearing a skirt, do I?" She gave him a teasing smile. Adam wasn't sure how to respond, so he decided to grab the clothes and change but Theresa stopped him by raising her hand.

"I was serious about you taking a bath. You reek of dust and blood," she stepped away from him. Adam sniffed himself and winced.

"_Damn. I really stink."_

"_{After our ordeal in the city, it is doubtful that you would smell like roses,}"_ it offered its observation. Adam ignored it and focused on Theresa, who was walking towards the door. It opened and she stepped out. Before it closed she turned one last time to him. "I will send someone to take off the medical equipment from your body. After that, go and take a quick shower and meet me in the lobby. Don't make me wait for too long." The door closed and Adam remained standing on the same spot.

"_**{Welp, I didn't think you were going to be accepted this quick in the academy,}"**_it was surprised at how easy he was accepted. Like it, Adam shared the sentiment.

"_Anyway, it saved me a lot of time and an explanation of how I know Siegfried." _He wasn't complaining about how things played out. He learned that sometimes one just has to be quiet and accept what came on your way.

After waiting for five minutes, a nurse came and quickly took off all the needles and cables from his body. Adam noted that from time to time the nurse moved her eyes over his frame. He guessed that she was probably freaked out by the long scars on his arms and legs despite his abnormal regeneration. The nurse only asked him short questions about his breath and blood pressure. She wrote some things on her tablet, told him that the door next to the chest of drawers was a personal bathroom filled with all he needed to clean himself. After that, she wished him a good day and left hastily.

It took him ten minutes to clean himself. He had some difficult to clean due to the ache on his back and shaking limbs, but nothing that he couldn't handle. Adam quickly changed into his new clothes.

He caught some stares from some nurses on his way but he didn't pay them mind. He spotted Theresa sitting on one of the sofas of the Hospital. She was carrying a black plastic bag filled with something. Once she saw him, she got up and walked towards the door. Adam soon joined her and together left the hospital.

He was blinded for a second when the rays of light fell on his face at stepping out. He blinked and couldn't help to gape at seeing the large and beautiful green gardens around. It was a nice view. Theresa stopped and saw his expression. She chuckled. _"Ah, all the newbies react the same way. It never tires me out."_ She called him. "Hey, Adam!" He blinked and saw that Theresa resumed walking. "While we walk, let me tell you about the rules you will have to follow during your stay," she announced. He hasted his pace until he reached her.

"_It can't be that hard."_

He didn't think that living in St. Freya the following years was going to be difficult at all.

* * *

Mei Raiden didn't know how to feel exactly.

On one side, she was happy that her friends made it out of the city in one piece. Bronya was miraculously in one piece, a bit bruised after being struck aside like a ragdoll by the Honkai beast. She explained that it had something to do with Project Bunny's shield, but her explanation went over Mei's head as she hugged the little girl to the point of almost suffocating her. Later, on the second day after their rescue, Murata Himeko, the red-haired woman who was in charge of the flying battleship and the rescue operation; told her that Kiana was finally out of danger. Mei was sure that it was the third time in her life that she cried so hard after hearing the good news. And knowing that her friends were out of danger, Mei didn't think twice when she offered herself to whatever Schicksal had in store for her in exchange for the wellbeing of her friends. The young ex-heiress never expected to be slapped and be told off by the Major to live and go on with her life. To be honest, she didn't know what to do after all this. And that's when she was presented with an option she never saw coming.

To become a Valkyrie.

She wasn't sure at all about that. She didn't know, no, she _knew_ what would happen if she loosed control again. The Major soothed her worry with a failsafe in case the Herrscher decided to make itself present again.

She dreaded the feeling of having a bomb inside her, but if that guaranteed that her friends' lives were safe, then so be it.

And despite the guarantee that everything was under control and that her friends were safe, Mei's fear and guilt were still present. She tried to not stare too much at Kiana as she tried to hide her winces whenever she extended her left arm to grab something, or how she put her weight more on her left leg rather her right. A pair of occasions Bronya caught her worried glances and subtly pushed Kiana on doing other things that didn't stress her recovering body. Of course in her own way, meaning, ignoring, or brushing off Kiana's comments.

"Hey! I told you that I can carry that trash bag!"

"The Bronya doesn't desire to clean again in case the idiot spoils all our hard work."

"Stop calling me an idiot!"

"No fighting!"

As Mei kept filling another bag with trash, her mind wandered towards the only male in their group during their escape from the city.

"_What happened to you?"_ She wondered while Himeko threw two damped cloths on both girls' faces as she ordered them to clean the rest of the furniture for their future rooms as she went inside a room to sort some of her stuff that was going to the trash.

The last thing Mei remembered about Adam was him straining to get on his feet, Kiana… bleeding on them before she was pushed to the back of her mind. She didn't know what happened while she was unconscious, but she caught Kiana's and Himeko's perturbed gazes despite their efforts to hide it when she asked them about him. The young black haired girl didn't buy at all the Major's excuses to not visit him and she didn't want to pressure Kiana for answers after just being discharged. Himeko only explained that he suffered some injuries in the fight and that he was recovering in another section so he could be questioned about his power and interference in the incident. She justified that his power didn't have a precedent and was something they had never seen before.

Mei thought that the Major must have seen Adam's power in action and perhaps something else to frighten her. To be honest, she found a bit… strange his power and appearance when he used it. Despite that, he showed to be a caring individual, a little rough around the edges, but still, a caring person in her eyes if he was willing to… sacrifice himself, so they could run away…

"_I will try to speak with him once we are done with this,"_ she thought as she finished filling another bag with trash.

"Hey, Bratnya! Stop tickling me!" Kiana complained, bringing Mei back from her thoughts. She glanced at the two and saw that Bronya was cleaning a dusty book shell while Kiana glared at her with her arms crossed below her chest and with her damped cloth in her right hand. Bronya just glanced at her with her usually stoic face, although Mei caught that her eyes gained a questioning light. She was getting better in reading her subtle expressions.

"What are you talking about, subject idiotka?"

"You have been tickling me, like, four times," She exhaled deeply and to Mei's surprise, she didn't react to Bronya's favorite nickname for her. It seemed that she tried to not start anything. "Seriously, stop it. It's getting on my nerves."

"Your statement is false, idiotka. The Bronya is not doing such thing, and much less on someone as undesirable as you." Mei sighed, knowing that they were going to argue loudly again until she or Himeko stepped in.

"Girls, can you-?"

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Kiana shouted, but, there was something new in her voice that called her attention. She wasn't the only one, like her, Bronya's eyes widened for a fraction of second at the sudden outburst from her silver-haired companion.

"_Kiana-chan?"_ She took note that her blue eyes, who were usually friendly and bright; were replaced by boiling anger and the light in them dimmed a bit. Even in their previous quarrels, Kiana never directed such strong emotion towards their youngest companion.

"Hey!" Himeko came back from the dusty room. "What is going on here?!" She demanded answers as she got between Kiana and Bronya. Himeko gave the impression of a teacher stopping the beginning of a fight. Like Mei, she heard the new and angry tone coming from Kiana.

Neither of the girls said a word. Kiana kept glaring at Bronya, while the former remained with a poker face.

The calm and friendly mood from minutes before was replaced by a growing and tense silence.

"Well?" Himeko started to tap on the floor with her left foot as she exchanged glances with the girls waiting for answers. "I am waiting."

Before any of the girls could say anything, there was a sudden buzz that pierced the thickening silence.

Again, Bronya's eyes widened, in consternation this time, as she spotted something in front of her. Mei's brows raised in question at the unexpected expression from Bronya. She started to get worried as Himeko facial features shifted from demanding to… horrified and grossed out?

Mei moved her eyes towards the same direction the two were looking at, and then;

She saw it…

* * *

"_I had to jinx it, isn't it?"_

"…and don't peek at the girls' showers or you would be punished by the cutest girl in the world!" Theresa exclaimed innocently while Adam just rolled his eyes tired after hearing the last part of the sentence for the tenth time in the day.

"I get it! If I try to ogle it's my fucking head rolling off," he sighed annoyed. "Damn it, how many times do I have to tell you that I am not like the old man? At least I know something called _common decency_." He remarked.

For the next fifteen minutes, Theresa coached him with common things and rules that someone should follow in a school setting. He was sure the rules did not imply that he would be beaten to death if he tried to ogle girls.

She remarked giving him an incredulous stare. "What I can expect from someone who spent a long time traveling with that pervert? Mhm?"

The two were now inside a large three-story building that resembled more a holiday house than a school dormitory. Both were climbing the stairs to the second story.

"Maybe someone who actually thinks with his brain and not with his fu-?!"

"Apapa!" Theresa raised a finger and moved it from side to side. "What did I say about language?" Adam groaned in response.

"_{Endure it. It's only a matter of time of adapting to these new rules,}"_ it tried to make him feel better. It worked a bit.

"_**{Fuck! That means we can't see-!}"**_

"_Fuck off!" _Adam screamed internally and tuned off the voices. He didn't know what was going on with them, both were too active for his taste.

"_I will call Hestia as soon as I can."_

They arrived at the main hall. There were multiple doors in it. Other personal rooms it seemed. He was surprised at the large size that could house many people. As they walked in the hall, he remembered Theresa carrying the black plastic bag since the walk from the hospital.

"Hey, Theresa, what's inside the bag?" She stopped walking. He paused along with her. She looked on both ends of the corridor, making sure there wasn't some around before she quickly shoved the bag in his hands. Adam was surprised by this.

"Theresa?" She resumed her walking like nothing happened, although her voice and posture went rigid.

"It's Principal Theresa, and by the way, please refrain from leaving personal objects around. Someone could steal them." Adam took a peek inside the bag and his eyes widened when he found Omen and Gungnir resting inside the bag's bottom. There was also his cellphone, with 10% of energy left and with some scratches on the edges; and the blue bottle with his pills. He didn't know the material Hestia made them from, but it must have been something pretty durable if they managed to survive a Herrscher's blast.

He lifted his gaze and found Theresa waiting for him in front of one of the doors.

"_Is she telling me to not mention this outside my room?"_ He pondered with the voices.

"_{Maybe. After all, we are in Schicksal's territory.}"_

"_**{Check later for possible mics or cameras inside.}"**_

"_Will do,"_ he affirmed and caught up with Theresa.

"So, Principal, is this going to be my room?" He wasn't too comfortable about living in a building with anyone but girls, although beggars can't be choosers and the place looked pretty comfy. He was used to simpler places to sleep and rest. Still, the entire building marked positive points in Adam's book.

The Principal winced at his question. "Actually…"

"Kill it!" There was a sudden mature female cry on the other side of the door. "Kill it before it flies again!"

"I don't see it!" Adam heard a familiar voice, followed by others. He felt relief hearing them. A small smile formed on his face. The principal saw it but didn't say anything.

"The Bronya doesn't find traces of the vermin."

"Kiana-chan. Don't. Move."

"M-Mei-senpai?"

There was silence for a moment before the unknown woman screamed, followed by the other two girls' cries and things being shoved and threw around at the other side of the door.

Before he or the Principal could say something, the door was suddenly opened and, due to his surprise, Adam didn't avoid in time a flying boot coming on his way. His surprised expression shifted to one of horror when he saw in slow motion the biggest and fattest cockroach in his life on the boot's sole and how it made its way to his temple.

"_SON OF A-!"_

There was a _crunch_ that rumbled in everyone's present ears. It was followed by a grim silence that was broken by an outraged shout.

"FFFUUUUUCCKKK!"

Thirty seconds later, Adam found himself shoved into the bathroom, courtesy from the Principal, and it took him ten minutes to be sure that he cleaned the rests of the vermin off his temple. Adam left the bathroom while drying a part of his hair with a towel.

"_**{Come on! You have been drenched in blood and other things and you are now bitching for a simple insect?}"**_ It asked incredulity. Adam imagined giving it the middle finger before tuning its voice off.

He left the bathroom behind and found that the other women in the room were sat on two cream theme couches in the living room. Bronya, Mei, and Kiana were sat drinking a can of soda while the red-haired woman and the principal were discussing something on the other piece of furniture. There was a coffee table in the middle with cans of soda and beer. He thought that right now he needed a strong drink. He looked around and saw pieces of furniture disordered around. Bags of trash full and brooms and mops along with a dustpan and a bucket with water. Noticing his presence, the principal cut her conversation while the girls stopped drinking. Before anyone could say anything, Mei got up with a jump and walked towards him hurriedly. She stopped in front of him and to everyone's surprise, she bowed deeply.

"Mei?"

"I am so sorry, Adam-kun!" She apologized with an urgent tone. He didn't understand what she meant until he remembered among the disgusting fluids dripping off his temple, Mei was the one who threw the boot with the roach on it.

He took a deep breath and exhaled. "It is okay, Mei. I know that you didn't do it on purpose," he massaged his temple. It still stung a bit and he felt disgusted remembering the insect's remains on him. Mei stopped bowing.

"By the way, you got a nice throw," he commented trying to lighten the mood. He guessed it was the wrong thing to say because Mei gained an awkward expression and began to play with her fingers nervously.

"I… I am not… I don't only mean that …" She said between pauses. Adam didn't understand what she meant. Mei saw his puzzling expression and clarified what she meant. "I-I am speaking about… what happened the last time in Nagazora…

"Oh… "He understood. She gave a meek nod. For their part, the others kept silent while seeing the exchange between the two youngsters. The Principal was especially paying close attention to him.

"You don't have to apologize for anything," he tried to reassure her. "We are good." Adam didn't blame her for how things played out during the night attack. She wasn't being herself and in fact, neither he. Both of them were in a life-death situation and at the end of it, everyone came out alive.

"_{Although barely…}"_ it added.

His statement didn't calm her at all. "But I almost killed you!" she shouted in protest, startling Adam and the others slightly. "If it wasn't for me, neither Kiana, Bronya, or you would have been hurt!" She clenched her fists until both turned white. "I- I woke up two days later after they rescued us to find out that Bronya and Kiana-chan barely escaped death!" Her breath was ragged after her outburst. Adam caught at the corner of his eye that Kiana was about to make her way towards them until the Principal stopped her and made a gesture of silence with her hand.

"I-if only I didn't lose control, nothing of this would have happened…" Then she muttered something that Adam barely heard. "If only I died back then…"

Hearing that, he decided to step in. He wasn't good at cheering people up, Siegfried and Hestia had told so, but he will not allow Mei to blame herself for the Herrscher's actions. After all, she was shoved in this world of survival against the Honkai while dealing with an entity inside her head hell-bent focused on ending the human race.

Pondering his next words for a moment, he decided that being honest was the best option.

He cleared his voice. "I almost killed you back then too," Mei's eyes widened at his statement. The others were surprised by how casually he admitted it. "When we were atop, huh, atop the battleship I almost killed you when you were already down. It was thanks to Kiana and that red-haired woman over there that I was stopped in the last second," he revealed what transpired while she was unconscious. "I lost control and you would have been stabbed in the heart if wasn't for their intervention." Mei was perplexed hearing this. She turned her head towards her friend.

"Is-is that true, Kiana-chan?" She stuttered. The silver-haired girl looked unsure of what to say before the red-haired woman stepped in.

"It's true, dear," she glanced at Adam before returning to Mei. "Your friend over there went, mmm, how do I say it?"

"Fucking insane?" He offered his two cents. He ignored the glare thrown by the Principal. The red-haired woman was surprised that he didn't want to dance around the matter.

"I was going to say it with delicacy, but you are right kiddo. You went fucking nuts before your friend, Kiana, somehow managed to stop you in the last second." She leaned over the table and took an open can of beer. She drank a deep gulp despite the disapproving look from Theresa. The red-haired centered her gaze on Adam.

"I was sure I was about to fight you kid. Imagine my surprise when your friend not only stopped you, but you also faced head-on the bullets from a damn mounted machine gun to protect your friends and somehow, survived."

At her statement, there were multiple reactions: Adam gaped in surprise Theresa glared at her, Kiana winced, Bronya's eyes widened and Mei paled in horror and looked at him with major concern. Theresa quickly jabbed her on the side. The woman was about to protest until it dawned on her what she just said. The Principal muttered something about the drunken loose mouth. He agreed with her.

He looked at the Principal for answers but she was still glaring at her coworker and the others were looking at him like he was a ghost, as if not believing what the red-haired woman just said.

"_**{You what?!}"**_

"_{This is new…}"_

"_What the hell happened back there?!"_ He thought in worry. He started to recall the last moments on the ship deck before he blacked out.

"_I was, I was about to stab Mei,"_ he passed his hand through his hair as his head started to throb. _"Then Kiana was screaming about, about saving her and then…"_

"_**[AAAADDDDAAAAMMMM!]"**_

Suddenly, the scream made him stiff for a second.

He felt something hollow and hot inside him boiling for release.

That devouring feeling of utter despair and burning rage…

"_Don't…"_

He bit the left side of his inner cheek and started to count from ten to backward. As he did that, it took him sheer will power to keep his composure and shove that feeling on the back of his mind. He decided to sort out later with Theresa and Hestia whatever happened on the ship deck. Right now he needed to put in order the issue with Mei.

"Adam?" Theresa called him. "I am fine," he answered her too quickly for his like.

Calming down, he saw Mei straight in the eye and spoke with an even tone. "Pushing that aside… I don't blame you for what happened, Mei. Things went to shit fast and hard and we had to do what needed to be done to get out of there alive. So don't feel bad for what happened that night."

"But I almost killed you! And what Miss Himeko just said!" The ex-heiress protested. She couldn't understand how he can easily brush off their close encounter with death. "Y-you! How can you take so easily the fact that I almost killed you?!"

"Because it was the Herrscher who tried to kill us, not you." Mei's eyes widened in bewilderment. "And about Bitch Queen, fuck her for forcing you in all this. Fuck her for using you and your fears against you and fuck her for making you feel responsible for her actions. She may be a part of you but she _is not_ you. Remember that she is only a _parasite_ that feeds on your fear and weakness." He wasn't sure of his next move but Siegfried and Katherine told him that it worked sometimes, so he took the risk.

Adam patted her on the head softly, taking her by surprise. "So cheer up, okay?" He cracked a small smile as he finished patting her.

Mei stared at him for several seconds processing his words. Honestly, he didn't know what else to tell her. Lies or say what she wanted to hear could have made her happy momentarily but it won't only be frowned down by the others, it will make things worse for Mei in the future.

The truth was hard and a bitch to deal with, but it was better facing the problem rather than sorting out pieces of a lie and its consequences.

"_I hope this works."_

His smile vanished when Mei's eyes started to water. If it wasn't bad, the other girls' glares –mainly from Kiana and Bronya- made red alarms go off inside his head as the salty drops started to appear in the corner of her eyes. The others gave incredulous stares, although he caught the red-haired woman nodding in approval of him.

He half-raised his hands in defense. "I don't-I don't' know how to do this stuff," he explained while rubbing his temple. "B-but I mean it when I say you don't have to apologize for anything," he started to panic when the tears started to fall. Adam could deal with violent and bloody stuff in any day and mission but make him deal with volatile things such as emotions outside missions and he wouldn't know if he did good or messed up.

"_Fuck! Any ideas on how to fix this?!"_

"_{Try to apologize and be more considerate about her feelings? She must still feel guilty for what happened,} _it suggested.

"**{How about a hug or a massage? They tend to make people happy and who knows, maybe you can get something nice in return!}" **

Before Adam could answer back, he was brought back to reality when Mei gave him a tight hug. Both voices and he came to a halt at the sudden action.

"Thank you…" Adam heard the sincerity in her voice. He didn't return the hug despite the motions from the principal and the red-haired woman to do it. In his defense, he was surprised about the hug to react accordingly.

After another awkward moment, she undid the hug and cleaned off the few tears with her hands and gave him a crooked smile. Adam blinked and returned the gesture with another crooked smile. For their part, the girls stopped glaring and smiled at the scene.

"Alright!" Theresa clapped her hands, calling everyone's attention, and breaking the tense mood. "Now that that is behind you, I would like to congratulate all of you for your admission to St. Freya Academy." She applauded and jabbed at the red-haired woman to follow her example. Hers wasn't sincere like the principal's but nobody commented about it.

"And by the way Adam, I am happy that there are no problems between you and your new roommates!"

"WAIT? WHAT?!" Kiana, Adam screamed at the same time bewildered while Bronya took another sip from her soda, ignoring the noise around her. The Principal winced at their screams and Mei just looked surprised at the Principal's announcement.

"You can't be serious!" Adam screamed incredulously.

"I told you they were going to react that way!" The red-haired woman giggled at their funny expressions.

"Are you for real?! He- He used a grenade to strip Mei-senpai back then! Who knows what else he can do?!" Adam's eye twitched at the memory.

"Damn it, Kiana! I am not a pervert!"

"He-he didn't mean to do that Kiana-chan!" Mei tried to defend him.

"But Mei-senpai! Adam has these strange tentacles and remember that he wrapped us with them!

"Don't make it sound that way!"

Despite the noise, Theresa took it as a break from the previous tense moment. For a second she feared that Mei was about to have a mental breakdown, but fortunately, it didn't happen. She sighed and took an unopened can of soda and started to sip it as she dwelled in her thoughts.

"_Hestia, why do you insist on making him coming here in the first place?"_ She frowned. _"I just don't understand why you and Siegfried wouldn't continue training him in the first place…"_

Theresa kept drinking her soda in silence as the other occupants were arguing about Adam's actions and how he and Mei tried to justify them.

Once she finished, she put the empty can on the table. She glanced at the others, and seeing that they were not going to stop anytime soon, Theresa cleared her throat and took a deep breath.

"SILENCE!" She screamed off as the other occupants in the room stopped arguing and directed their attention towards her. The only ones who didn't react at all were Bronya who kept drinking her soda with a calm expression and the red-haired drinking a new beer while watching them argue.

"Ahem, now that I have your attention, do you have any question?" Two hands were raised.

"Yes. Kiana?"

"Why is Adam going to live with us? And, is he going to attend the academy with us too?"

"Those are two questions, but yes. He is going to attend the academy and live with you as long as he attends St. Freya."

"I get the part about attending the academy together, but why I have to live with them?!" He butted in. He found the idea of living with four women in an apartment awkward and ridiculous given the richness and power that Schicksal had.

"_{This is problematic…}"_

"_**{I can't wait for the shower peeks!}"**_

Adam ignored them in favor of hearing the Principal's explanation.

"The other rooms are already occupied given that we are at the beginning of the second semester of this year," explained Theresa. Adam ran his hand over his hair. He didn't want to live with other occupants in the same room, and much less if they were four women. He knew that there would be 'little accidents', like opening a door at the wrong moment or having 'casual peeks'. He knew that because he lived before with his mother and two sisters. Nothing bad or scandalous with these accidents because they were family; but with strangers and young women?

Awkward as hell.

"What? I thought you would be happy to live with four beautiful women in an apartment and attend an academy full of girls?" Theresa asked with a confused expression on her face. Mei blushed a bit at her question while Kiana and Bronya barely reacted save for a raised brow. For his part, Adam looked at the Principal with a deadpanned expression.

"First, I expected hearing that from the pervert, not you. Second, it's a bad idea because all of them are girls and third; how are you okay with this?!" He thought that she would be more protective over her students given the constant threats to be beaten to a bloody pulp if he tried to peek at the girls or look at them in the wrong way.

The Principal shrugged off. "Sorry, but that's what I am offering. Either way, you can live here or inside a janitor closet. The choice is yours."

Adam pondered for a moment before he realized something. _"I can afford a place in the city, and maybe a motorbike or something to go and come."_ He thought in satisfaction. Before he proposed his idea, it was immediately shut down by the Principal.

"If you are thinking about living in the city, you have another thing coming."

"What do you mean?" He hoped that it didn't have to do with some dumb rule about staying at all times inside St. Freya.

"Hestia told me that due to some problems, your account is going to be suspended for a couple of weeks," she said.

"Did she tell you what it was?" Adam shifted his exasperated semblance for one of seriousness. He knew that few things could be a problem for Hestia. If he couldn't get access to his bank account, then that meant that she put under wraps her connections to him and Siegfried, and perhaps the rest of her network. He thought of calling her or at least leave a message as soon as he was alone.

"Oh my~. I didn't expect you to get more worried about money than living with us?" The red-haired woman put down her beer on the table and crossed her arms. Adam shifted her eyes at her. He dropped the sharpness but kept a serious stand.

"Are you okay with this, miss…?"

"Murata Himeko. But you can call just call me Himeko." Adam nodded.

"Right. As I was saying, are you okay with this Miss Himeko?" He added the miss for education and courtesy. He wanted to be on her good side to at least make the Principal see reason. To his dismay, she shrugged off.

"Knock it off with the Miss, and to be honest, not at all. But I don't fear putting some sense in your skull if you dare to be a peeking tom." She crossed her legs. "But seeing your insistence to not be living with a beautiful woman and three cute girls make me wonder, are you a gentleman or you bat for the other side? I don't judge." She finished with a teasing smile.

"I don't know about the first one and I am not the second thing, but," he groaned. "I will be honest. This makes me feel awkward as hell. I am a man after all." While this one was the main reason, there was another motive he wasn't mentioning.

His nightmares.

He didn't want to explain to the others about the topic. The first time he talked about the nightmares with Siegfried was very uncomfortable. One night he woke up Adam and dragged him to a bar to talk about it. Not the best place due to it being a public place, but Siegfried commented that nobody would give a shit about his story, after all, the bar was filled with people like him.

Reluctantly, Adam told him the many things he saw inside his dreams. Siegfried listened in silence. At their conversation's end, he didn't judge him or told him that he was crazy. He told him that if ever feel the need to share more, he would be there to listen. This along with other things made him respect and trust Siegfried more, although he didn't tell him this to his face, his ego would only get bigger, but he was sure the old man knew that.

Getting back on track, seeing that Adam wasn't budging, Theresa remembered one thing Hestia mentioned in the case he showed opposition to live with the others.

"If you are worried about your medication, Hestia gave me your pills for you to sleep," Theresa pointed out. Adam glanced at her, then did a double-take hearing that.

"What?"

"Hestia told me about your problems to catch sleep due to your powers. She sent me enough pills to last you a month." She stood up and searched in her clothes before grabbing a bottle the same size he already had for his powers, although this one was pink. Theresa walked to him and gave him the pills and went back to her seat.

"T-thanks," he said clumsily. He was caught off guard at Theresa's direct way to call on his main issue.

"Adam-kun, you have problems to sleep?" Mei asked. He winced and saved his pills inside one of his jacket pockets. He nodded at Mei and glared at Theresa for a second for bringing up the topic in front of the others. She shrugged off. "You didn't mention it was personal." Adam released a resigned sigh knowing that he no longer had other good reasons to not live in the dormitory. "So, I am going to be living with you four, eh?" The Principal smiled at his surrender.

"Welcome aboard, Adam! I hope you have an excellent time here!" The Principal cheered on. Adam rubbed his face in resignation as Mei tried to lighten the mood by offering to make dinner. The youngsters instantly cheered up with her proposal.

"_An airhead, a soft big sister with a Herrscher, a stoic mecha little girl and a young man with creepy powers,"_ Himeko took another seep from her beer. She glanced at Theresa and to her surprise, she caught an unusual smile on her face.

A nostalgic and content smile at meeting someone again after so long. She decided to keep her thoughts to herself.

"_I hope you know what are you doing, Teri."_

* * *

**…**

**CONCLUSION:**

**UNIT BUNE DOES NOT FIND ANYTHING SUSPICIOUS WITH THE TEXT.**

**UNIT BUNE WILL INFORM ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ZERO FINDINGS IN THE INVESTIGATION OF TASK #985.**

**UNIT BUNE UNLOCKING ANTI-MEMETIC SPREAD CONTAINMENT MEASURES.**

**UNIT BUNE:**

_**ABOVE US BEAMING AS WE RUN**_

_**DOWN THAT AISLE**_

**UNIT BUNE:**

_**WITH FUTURE UNFOLDED - THE LIFE WE'D WON**_

_**COMMITMENT AND DUTY, FOR THE FAMILY WE'D RAISE**_

_**CERULEAN SKIES FERRY THE SHIMMERING SUN**_

**ALERT! ALERT! ALERT ALERT!**

**UNIT BUNE COMPROMISED.**

**INITIATING CONTAINMENT-**

**[01001000 01100101 01101100 01101100 01101111 00100000 01001111 01101100 01100100 00100000 01000110 01110010 01101001 01100101 01101110 01100100]**

**SELF-DESTRUCTION-**

**[01000010 01100101 00100000 01101101 01111001 00100000 01101100 01101001 01100111 01101000 01110100 00100000 01101001 01101110 00100000 01110100 01101000 01101001 01110011 00100000 01101100 01101111 01101110 01100111 00100000 01101110 01101001 01100111 01101000 01110100]**

**UNIT-**

_**SAFFRON SKIES RAISE THE BLAZING SUN**_

_**A CHANCE ENCOUNTER, AWKWARD DISPLAYS**_

_**ONE DAY, MY LOVE, WE'D BE AS ONE**_

_**WITH TWO ENTWINED. A SET COURSE, BEGUN**_

_**THAT FRENETIC, WILD, LUSTROUS HAZE;**_

_**AZURE SKIES HOST THE RADIANT SUN**_

_**ABOVE US BEAMING AS WE RUN**_

_**DOWN THAT AISLE, A FERVENT CRAZE**_

_**THAT DAY, MY LOVE, WE BECAME AS ONE**_

_**WITH FUTURE UNFOLDED - THE LIFE WE'D WON**_

_**COMMITMENT AND DUTY, FOR THE FAMILY WE'D RAISE**_

_**CERULEAN SKIES FERRY THE SHIMMERING SUN**_

_**BURIED. SHACKLED BY FATE - OVERRUN**_

_**BY EVER-GROWING RESENT AND MALAISE**_

_**YESTERDAY, MY LOVE, WE WERE AS ONE**_

_**NOW YOU LIE HERE, THE LIFE IN YOU GONE**_

_**IN THE DARK OUTSIDE OF HER RAYS**_

_**CRIMSON SKIES BEAR THE TORCH; OUR SUN**_

_**TODAY, MY LOVE, WE'LL BE AS ONE**_

**[01001001 01101110 01101001 01110100 01101001 01100001 01110100 01100101 00100000 01001111 01110000 01100101 01110010 01100001 01110100 01101001 01101111 01101110 00111010 01010011 01110100 01100001 01110010 01100111 01100001 01111010 01100101]**

**UNDERSTOOD.**

**[DATA EXPLUNGED]**

**UNIT BUNE DOES NOT FIND ANYTHING SUSPICIOUS WITH THE TEXT.**

**UNIT BUNE WILL INFORM ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ZERO FINDINGS IN THE INVESTIGATION OF TASK #985.**

**UNIT BUNE UNLOCKING ANTI-MEMETIC SPREAD CONTAINMENT MEASURES.**

**UNIT BUNE DELIVERING REPORT TO ADMINISTRATOR.**

**[01010101 01101110 01110100 01101001 01101100 00100000 01110100 01101000 01100101 01101110 00101100 00100000 01001101 01111001 00100000 01001011 01101001 01101110 01100111 00101110]**

**INFORMATION DELIVERED.**

**UNIT BUNE LOGGING OUT.**

**UNIT BUNE LOGGED OUT.**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

* * *

**The poem isn't mine. Poesy, to be honest, it's not my thing.**

**The poem belongs to its respective author. All credit and respect go to the original author of the poem. It was only used to fulfill a minor function in the story. So if you, S. D. Locke, are reading this, I am not taking credit for the work you did. The work from where this poem is part of is cool and damn scary.**

**If you are wondering from where is this, I will give you a hint:**

"_**Fear the light."**_

**Goodbye!**

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter.**


End file.
